Hefty, crested bird with an attitude. They are half charcoal black and half blue. Adults along the Pacific Coast have blue streaks on their black crest.
© Jeff Maw | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 16, 2017Bold, inquisitive, and noisy bird of western evergreen forests. Its black crest and blue lower body separate it from similar jays. Birds in the interior have white streaks on their crest.
© Todd Dixon | Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 05, 2016Plumage color of residents in Middle America varies, but most are bluer overall. Residents in Chiapas, Mexico south to Guatemala for example, have brighter blue bodies and shorter blue crests.
© Nigel Voaden | Macaulay LibraryChiapas, March 19, 2015Juveniles look similar to adults but have a smaller crest and are often paler gray.
© Amy Clark Courtney | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 09, 2017Steller's Jays often push their crest feathers up during courtship and aggressive interactions.
© Nigel Voaden | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 06, 2015Often forages on the ground, hopping around looking to eat almost anything that will fit in its mouth.
© Doug Hitchcox | Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 16, 2017Very vocal bird that makes growls, creaks, rattles, and squawks of all kinds.
© Andrew Spencer | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 24, 2014Found in evergreen and mixed-evergreen forests in the western U.S., as well as parks, campgrounds, backyards, and pine-oak woodlands in the Southwest.
© Joshua Covill | Macaulay LibraryMontana, December 14, 2016