Steller's Jay

About the Steller's Jay

A dark, handsome jay of the mountain conifers, Steller's Jay is unmistakable - a charcoal-black head crowned with a tall, shaggy crest melting into deep, glossy blue over the back, wings, and tail. Bold and vocal, it is the western counterpart to the familiar Blue Jay.

Steller's Jays are loud and inquisitive, giving harsh, scolding calls and a repertoire of imitations, including a convincing hawk scream. They rove the pine and fir woods in small groups, feeding on pine seeds, acorns, insects, and whatever campgrounds offer, and caching food for winter.

In Texas they are scarce, local residents of the high conifer forests of the Trans-Pecos mountains, such as the Davis Mountains and the Chisos, at the eastern edge of their range.

A note from behind the lens: their boldness around picnic areas and campgrounds makes them approachable, but that dark plumage needs light - aim for a bird in a shaft of sun against shadowed forest, and expose for the blue so it glows rather than going flat.