Wild Boyz Photography Photos of the wild
  • ABOUT
    • OUR MISSION
    • OUR TEAM
      • INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
    • PARTNERS
      • NONPROFIT PARTNERS
      • PRINTING PARTNERS
    • GET INVOLVED
    • CREATIVE COMMONS
    • CONTACT
  • GALLERIES
    • May Gallery 2025
    • April Gallery 2025
    • March Gallery 2025
    • February Gallery 2025
    • January Gallery 2025
    • Archive 2024
      • January Gallery 2024
      • February Gallery 2024
      • March Gallery 2024
      • April Gallery 2024
      • May Gallery 2024
      • June Gallery 2024
      • July Gallery 2024
      • August Gallery 2024
      • September Gallery 2024
      • October Gallery 2024
      • Best of 2024 Gallery
    • Archive 2023
      • January Gallery 2023
      • February Gallery 2023
      • March Gallery 2023
      • April Gallery 2023
      • May Gallery 2023
      • June Gallery 2023
      • July Gallery 2023
      • August Gallery 2023
      • September Gallery 2023
      • October Gallery 2023
      • November Gallery 2023
      • Best of 2023 Gallery
    • Archive 2022
      • January Gallery 2022
      • February Gallery 2022
      • March Gallery 2022
      • April Gallery 2022
      • May Gallery 2022
      • June Gallery 2022
      • July Gallery 2022
      • August Gallery 2022
      • September Gallery 2022
      • October Gallery 2022
      • November Gallery 2022
    • Archive 2021
      • January Gallery 2021
      • February Gallery 2021
      • March Gallery 2021
      • April Gallery 2021
      • May Gallery 2021
      • June Gallery 2021
      • July Gallery 2021
      • August Gallery 2021
      • September Gallery 2021
      • October Gallery 2021
      • November Gallery 2021
      • Best of 2021 Gallery
    • ARCHIVE 2020
      • January Gallery 2020
      • February Gallery 2020
      • March Gallery 2020
      • April Gallery 2020
      • May Gallery 2020
      • June Gallery 2020
      • July Gallery 2020
      • August Gallery 2020
      • September Gallery 2020
      • October Gallery 2020
      • November Gallery 2020
      • Best of 2020 Gallery
    • ARCHIVE 2019
      • April Gallery 2019
      • May Gallery 2019
      • June Gallery 2019
      • July Gallery 2019
      • August Gallery 2019
      • September Gallery 2019
      • October Gallery 2019
      • November Gallery 2019
  • GUEST GALLERIES
    • LIZ MURPHY – NUDIBRANCHS
    • BILL SHAMICK – TURTLES
    • NICK IVERS
    • KBSTRRC
    • MELANIE CHENEY
    • BRUCE LEANDER
    • RELEAF MICHIGAN
    • THE XERCES SOCIETY
    • ROCK HOLLOW WOODS
    • OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE
    • VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCE
    • SYCAMORE LAND TRUST
    • CORA BERCHEM – SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB
    • BRUCE LEANDER – WILDFLOWER CENTER
    • ALEX NEUFELD – CRF
    • WARD 8 WOODS
  • BLOG
  • |
  • DONATE
  • STORE
  • CARDS
  • ABOUT
    • OUR MISSION
    • OUR TEAM
      • INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
    • PARTNERS
      • NONPROFIT PARTNERS
      • PRINTING PARTNERS
    • GET INVOLVED
    • CREATIVE COMMONS
    • CONTACT
  • GALLERIES
    • May Gallery 2025
    • April Gallery 2025
    • March Gallery 2025
    • February Gallery 2025
    • January Gallery 2025
    • Archive 2024
      • January Gallery 2024
      • February Gallery 2024
      • March Gallery 2024
      • April Gallery 2024
      • May Gallery 2024
      • June Gallery 2024
      • July Gallery 2024
      • August Gallery 2024
      • September Gallery 2024
      • October Gallery 2024
      • Best of 2024 Gallery
    • Archive 2023
      • January Gallery 2023
      • February Gallery 2023
      • March Gallery 2023
      • April Gallery 2023
      • May Gallery 2023
      • June Gallery 2023
      • July Gallery 2023
      • August Gallery 2023
      • September Gallery 2023
      • October Gallery 2023
      • November Gallery 2023
      • Best of 2023 Gallery
    • Archive 2022
      • January Gallery 2022
      • February Gallery 2022
      • March Gallery 2022
      • April Gallery 2022
      • May Gallery 2022
      • June Gallery 2022
      • July Gallery 2022
      • August Gallery 2022
      • September Gallery 2022
      • October Gallery 2022
      • November Gallery 2022
    • Archive 2021
      • January Gallery 2021
      • February Gallery 2021
      • March Gallery 2021
      • April Gallery 2021
      • May Gallery 2021
      • June Gallery 2021
      • July Gallery 2021
      • August Gallery 2021
      • September Gallery 2021
      • October Gallery 2021
      • November Gallery 2021
      • Best of 2021 Gallery
    • ARCHIVE 2020
      • January Gallery 2020
      • February Gallery 2020
      • March Gallery 2020
      • April Gallery 2020
      • May Gallery 2020
      • June Gallery 2020
      • July Gallery 2020
      • August Gallery 2020
      • September Gallery 2020
      • October Gallery 2020
      • November Gallery 2020
      • Best of 2020 Gallery
    • ARCHIVE 2019
      • April Gallery 2019
      • May Gallery 2019
      • June Gallery 2019
      • July Gallery 2019
      • August Gallery 2019
      • September Gallery 2019
      • October Gallery 2019
      • November Gallery 2019
  • GUEST GALLERIES
    • LIZ MURPHY – NUDIBRANCHS
    • BILL SHAMICK – TURTLES
    • NICK IVERS
    • KBSTRRC
    • MELANIE CHENEY
    • BRUCE LEANDER
    • RELEAF MICHIGAN
    • THE XERCES SOCIETY
    • ROCK HOLLOW WOODS
    • OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE
    • VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCE
    • SYCAMORE LAND TRUST
    • CORA BERCHEM – SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB
    • BRUCE LEANDER – WILDFLOWER CENTER
    • ALEX NEUFELD – CRF
    • WARD 8 WOODS
  • BLOG
  • |
  • DONATE
  • STORE
  • CARDS
January 28, 2022  |  By Ben Ivers

Mexican Jay

Mexican Jay Live

Mexican Jay - IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Mexican jays are closely related to crows and magpies

Matt, Kenny, Nick, and I were descending from Emory Peak in Big Bend National Park when we came across this blue bird sitting in a tree. It was just a little bit above head height, as we were on switchback trails heading down a steep portion of the mountain. We later identified the bird as a Mexican Jay. I'm sure it must have felt famous as four people took out cameras and phones to take photos of such a stunning avian specimen.

November Bird Gallery 2019

The Mexican jay is identifiable by its blue head, back and wings; and gray chest and the underside of its neck. It is similar to other scrub-jays, which share the same genus as the Mexican jay, but you can distinguish the Mexican jay by the lack of a blue ring around the entirety of its neck. These birds are also closely related to crows and magpies who share the same family.

The Mexican Jay is only found in two locations in the United States: Southeastern Arizona/New Mexico and the Big Bend area of Texas. The species is found throughout much of Mexico. Interestingly there are many differences between the birds that are endemic to the United States and those of Mexico. The two populations differ in their calls, nesting behavior, the color of their eggs, and the color of the bills of their young. In terms of habitat, they are primarily found within oak-pines woods and open oak forests. They can be found in canyons and on the lower slopes of mountains. It was no coincidence that we saw this bird on our way down from Emory Peak.

Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Take a Closer Look

Depending on the elevation of this bird species, it will have either a straight bill or a hooked bill. The hooked bill is best suited for eating acorns, whereas the straight bill is best suited for eating pine nuts. Mexican jays at higher elevations have the straight bill which is seen in this photo.

Native to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico

Did You Know?

  • The scientific name of the Mexican jay is Aphelocoma wolweberi.
  • They lay 1-6 eggs at a time. The young leave the nest about four weeks after hatching
  • The Mexican jay tends to live in flocks. The flocks maintain and defend permanent territories that can last for multiple generations.
DONATE
THIS MONTH'S GALLERY
big bend bird desert jay texas tree

Article by Ben Ivers

Previous StoryChalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly
Next StoryBlack Skimmer

Related Articles

  • Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Nymph Live
    Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Nymph
  • Greater Earless Lizard Live
    Greater Earless Lizard

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Silver Lake New Hampshire

    […] Mexican Jay […]

    Reply

Leave your comment Cancel Reply

(will not be shared)

Donate

About

Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

  facebook twitter instagram

Categories

Tags

b&w backyard beach big bend bird black and white butterfly camouflage coral desert diving fish florida flower forest guest Hawaii hiking indiana insect kayaking lake landscape light macro maine mountain national park new hampshire ocean reef scuba spider sun sunrise sunset texas tree turtle underwater vermont water weather weird white mountains

WHO WE ARE

  • OUR TEAM
  • PRINTING PARTNERS
  • PARTNERS
  • CONTACT
  • STORE

WHAT WE DO

  • GALLERY
  • GET INVOLVED
  • BLOG
  • OUR MISSION

TRANSPARENCY

GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency

EIN: 83-3161428

ABOUT US

Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

FIND US ELSEWHERE

FacebookTwitterInstagram
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License