Blue Jays
Perhaps the most familiar jay are blue jays, widely distributed across eastern North America and in recent years to an expanded range throughout the northern Rockies as far west as Oregon. Blue jays measure about 11 inches long and have a prominent crest, blue body, white wing bars and a black necklace. Many people also recognize blue jays by ear. Their less than melodious "Jay! Jay!" and "Queedle" calls are quite distinctive. They also happen to be excellent mimics of red-shouldered hawks.
Pinon Jay
Pinyon jays inhabit the drier pinewoods of the southwest. Dull blue in color, they are highly social and rarely seen just one at a time. As the name implies, their favorite foods are the seeds of pinyon pines. Mexican jays can easily be confused with Pinyon jays, but they are limited to southern Arizona and southwestern Texas. They formerly were called gray-breasted jays. Gray jays live in the north woods all across Canada and in the northern Rockies in the U.S. They resemble a large chickadee with gray back, wings and tail and white crown, cheeks and throat. These jays are opportunists and surprisingly tame, often following hikers or visiting campsites and picnic areas in search of handouts.
Green Jay
Another campground favorite is the green jay, found only in south Texas where many retirees spend the winter. The green body, purple and black head, and yellow outer tail feathers make green jays among the easiest corvids to identify. Their gaudy combination of colors correctly suggests tropical roots; green jays are a Mexican species. Clark's nutcrackers live at the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains from Arizona to British Columbia. Like the gray and the green jays, Clark's nutcrackers are tame and often visit campgrounds in search of food. Their large size (12 inches), gray body, black wings, white wing patches and white outer tail feathers are distinctive and make them easy to identify.
Florida Scrub Jays
Although a large, permanent population of scrub jays lives in much of the West, Florida scrub jays are restricted completely to the central part of that state and consequently have developed some unique characteristics. They rarely travel more than a few miles from where they were hatched, living only in native, fire-dependent scrub oak communities. Fire suppression efforts therefore operate at the expense of these jays. Given central Florida's human population explosion of the last 50 years, it is no surprise that current scrub jay populations are considered threatened by habitat loss. The most notable feature of Florida scrub jays' biology is their reproductive behavior. They breed cooperatively. Each territory holds one adult breeding pair and up to six offspring from previous years that "help" at the nest. These "helpers" feed the young, watch for and mob predators and defend the territory. Western scrub jays breed conventionally.
Oregon Juncos
Where they live: Oregon juncos can be found from Alaska through California and east to Idaho and Wyoming. Conifer trees are juncos' preferred nesting sites. Look for them along forest edges, roadsides, parks and yards. During breeding and nesting season, populations move northward and into higher elevations. The rest of the year they spread throughout their range, foraging for food.
Appearance: These small (5-to-6-inches), active birds are readily recognizable. Male dark-eyed juncos of the Oregon race have a black or dark gray hood which contrasts with the lighter brown or gray of their back. The colors lighten further on their sides from light brown to yellowish. Their belly is white, bill is pink and the outer tail feathers form white borders. The female has a similar plumage pattern but with a paler hood.
What They Eat: Juncos relish seeds and grains, foraging for natural seeds as they become available through the year. Because they are fairly tame and because birdseed is an ideal offering, juncos are attracted easily to backyard feeders.
Voice: The song of the male junco is a pretty musical trill. Contact notes sound like a soft "tick." In flocks, these birds create pleasant twittering sounds.
Junco - Slate Colored Race
Where They Live: This widespread sub-specie is found across the continent from the northernmost tree lines in Canada south into the Appalachian mountains of the east. In the summer, juncos retreat into wooded regions, preferring cool conifer forests, and often build their nests in ravines within these woods. They spend summers in the northern half of their range, dispersing southward and out of the forests in the fall. During the winter they can be found in yards, parks and along roadsides.
Appearance: A common name for the slate colored race of juncos is "snowbird," because they have gray skies above and snow below. The male, in fact, has a dark gray head, neck, back and upper breast with a snowy-white breast and belly. Look also for the white feathers that border the tail. Females have a similar pattern, but in brown tones.
What They Eat: Juncos consume insects and berries when they are available and eat seeds of many different grasses and weeds throughout the year. Typically they forage for food on the ground, scratching for seeds among leaves or snow. Although they will sometimes land on birdfeeders to take millet or sunflower seeds, they more often will pick up seeds spilled on the ground by other birds.
Voice: The song of the dark-eyed junco is a loose trill on a single pitch. It has a more musical, bell-like quality than the trill of the chipping sparrow. Calls are soft, single-noted "ticks."