Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Mar 16, 2008

Blue bird

This gorgeous chappie landed on a fence post only a few feet away for me. His feathers were quite iridescent and he seemed unfazed by my presence. Only when I started to move again did he take flight.

I think this is a scrub jay (my friend Amber gave me a bird book–yay!).

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5 Comments, Comment or Ping

pussreboots (158 comments.)

It’s either a scrub jay or a stellar jay.

Mar 19th, 2008
Mary (17 comments.)

That’s a beautiful shot! I adore scrub jays, they’re so smart, and ubiquitous in many parts of California. Some people call them “blue jays,” but that’s a different species that doesn’t live this side of the Rocky Mountains, and doesn’t look the same. They are indeed both blue and both jays, though. :D

Mar 20th, 2008
Mary (17 comments.)

@pussreboots:
The Steller’s is much darker — all blue, with the head nearly black, and some nearly hidden striping reminiscent of the blue jay — and looks like this:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4780id.html

Steller’s and scrub jays can have similar-looking habitat on the map, but Steller’s like trees and cover, and scrubs like open area. I have scrubs in my yard, but two miles away, at our dog park, which is surrounded by trees, there are Steller’s jays instead.

Both are very smart, and very bold, and very beautiful.

Mar 20th, 2008
Linda R. Moore

PR: The stellar seemed to have a tuft on its head in the book, so I plumped for scrub. :)

Mar 23rd, 2008
Linda R. Moore

I think we get bluejays–the real kind–in Europe. It really was a gorgeous little thing :)

Mar 23rd, 2008