Steller's Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri

Anyone who has camped in the mountains of California knows this bird well. They congregate around campgrounds boldly snatching scraps or your unattended lunch. The Steller's jay is a very showy deep blue with a black crest. They use this crest to communicate. The Steller's jay is closely related to the eastern Blue Jay.

Niche filled by the Steller's Jay

The Steller's jay lives in dense coniferous forest and takes advantage of human populations.

How to attract the Steller's Jay to your garden

Steller's jays will come to your garden if you are near a coniferous forest and have high and dense cover for them.

Range of the Steller's Jay

The Steller's Jay prefers dense coniferous forest areas in California

Migration of the Steller's Jay

The Steller's Jay does not migrate. However they will move down slope in winter except when there is an abundance of campers and therefore food.

Diet of the Steller's Jay

The Steller's jay eats almost everything. Theses things include seeds, acorns, fruits, insects, carrion, bird eggs, young birds, and of course camp scraps.

Habitat/ plant community Steller's Jay

The Steller's Jay prefers dense coniferous forests. They seem to not like lodgepole pine forest.

Redwood forest

Closed Cone Pine Forest

Yellow Pine Forest

Northern Oak Woodland

Mixed Evergreen Forest

Riparian

Red Fir forest

Nesting habitats used by the Steller's Jay

The Steller's jay usually nests in a conifer. They are very secretive nesters. Usually they are quite a loud bird but they are silent around their nests.

Diet of the Steller's Jay

The Steller's jay eats almost everything. These things include seeds, acorns, fruits, insects, carrion, bird eggs. Young birds and of course camp scraps.

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