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Mexican jay

Aphelocoma wollweberi

Description:

The Mexican Jay is a medium-large (~120 g) passerine similar in size to most other jays, with a blue head, blue-gray mantle, blue wings and tail, and pale gray breast and underparts. The sexes are morphologically similar, and juveniles differ only in having less blue coloration and, in some populations, a pink/pale (instead of black) bill that progressively becomes more black with age. Some field guides misreport this color as yellow because the pale bill becomes yellow in museum study skins. The iris is brown and legs are black. It is most readily distinguished from the similar Western Scrub-Jay by the plain (unstreaked) throat and breast, and the mantle contrasting less with the head and wings.

Habitat:

Chiricahua Mountains

Notes:

These birds are beggars in the campground of Chiricahua National Monument, and they're not shy about it either.

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2 Comments

MaryEvans2
MaryEvans2 12 years ago

These look almost like our Florida Scrub Jays. Beautiful photos.

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

I like the second picture best!

Aaron_G
Spotted by
Aaron_G

Arizona, USA

Spotted on Aug 5, 2003
Submitted on Feb 21, 2012

Spotted for Missions

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