Mexican Jays are medium-large, pale, bluish-gray birds. They have a lighter hue compared to other jays, and they have a grayish upper neckline. Their bills are small and black. Their chests and bellies are white and grayish.Â
- Aphelocoma wollweberi
- Length: 11 – 13 in (28 – 33 cm)
- Weight: 4.3 oz (122 g)
- Wingspan: 15 in (38 cm)
Range
As their name would suggest Mexican Jays are usually resident in Mexico, but they are also found further north in the southern US border states.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Mexican Jays in open oak and pine woods and forests.Â
Mexican Jays eat mostly insects, small reptiles, and other birds’ eggs and young. In the winter, they mainly eat acorns and pine nuts which they stored during the previous season.Â
Mexican Scrub-Jay Sounds:
Nests
Nests of Mexican Jays are built by both males and females in trees and protected by thick leaves. The nests are built of sticks and twigs with a lining of rootlets and plants.
They lay around five eggs that take about eighteen days to hatch. The young leave the nest after about twenty-five days, but they may be cared for by the flock for several weeks.
Fun Fact:
Northern Flickers usually follow Mexican Jays in flight during migration because they use the loud, shrill voices of the Mexican Jay to warn themselves of any predators.
