Pinyon Jays are blue all over, with darker backs and paler bellies. They also have white throats, shorter tails, and do not have crests like other Jays, like Stellar’s Jays.
Males and females look the same, but juveniles can look more grayish-blue.
- Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
- Length: 10.2-11.4 in (26-29 cm)
- Weight: 3.2-4.2 oz (90-120 g)
- Wingspan: 18.1 in (46 cm)
Range
Pinyon Jays are resident inland in western US states in pinyon-pine forests.
Habitat And Diet
As well as seeds from pinyon-pine, Pinyon Jays will eat juniper berries, acorns, and other animals such as lizards, baby birds, and insects. They are opportunity feeders who will take most things and forage in large, noisy groups.
Pinyon Jay Sounds:
They make 3 ‘kaw’ like calls close together that rise and then fall and sometimes shake or tremble.
Nests
Nests of Pinyon Jays are built of sticks and grass in pine trees and lined with feathers and animal hair.
Fun Fact:
Pinyon Jays do not have feathers over their nostrils to prevent the sticky pine pitch from making them dirty.
