Stellar’s Jay - identifying the blue mystery in Sonoma County shadows.

February 16, 2007 on 11:01 pm | In Daily Local Birder |

Greetings!
Few Sonoma County birds present us with such a world of contrasts. At one moment, the Stellar’s Jay is the noisiest bird in the forest - the next, he turns as quiet as a Winter Wren. In the deep shade of the evergreens he loves, he moves like a shadow, a thing of dusk and mystery - and then he flashes out into a patch of sunlight, allowing the rays to illuminate his royal blue and ebony plumes. He can cry as sweetly as a Killdeer, but scold more harshly than a Barn Owl. He is the retrospective thinker in the conifer canopy, and the brash pilferer of picnics at the campground. In short, the Stellar’s Jay cannot be easily summed up.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were walking through the mixed oak and eucalyptus grove below the silos at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen. We were hoping to find the pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that we’d recently seen there. I thought we were in luck when I heard their loud, mechanical utterance blowing down the wind at us. We stood very still, scanning the trees for that fiery glimpse of red. The telltale shake of a branch informed me that a large bird was moving about above us. But then came a hawk’s cry…I guessed a Red-tailed Hawk…from that very spot. More rustling in the foliage. More lilting cries. And then…the derisive rasp of the Stellar’s Jay! He had completely fooled us, and perhaps every other bird in the forest. Like many Jays, this bird is an excellent mimic. I saw him then, with his signature peaked crown, as he headed deeper into the woods, satisfied with his gotcha!

Field Notes on the Stellar’s Jay
Sonoma County neighbors are most likely to encounter Stellar’s Jays wherever evergreen trees grow, be it in a state park or a backyard. They immediately give one an impression of power with their strong bill, sturdy form and assured skipping across the ground. Most people who have camped out in this neck of the woods know that this bird has readily adapted itself to humans and will scour for food scraps to supplement its diet of seeds, fruit and insects. Yet, around its nest site it can make itself practically invisible and is secretive and shy to protect its eggs and young in their twiggy cup.

Stellar’s Jay is the only crested jay bird in the western United States and it is a year-round resident in Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area. Where we live, it is not nearly as common as the blue, grey and white Scrub Jay, and I am always thrilled to see this bigger, more majestic bird. The blue coloration of his wings and underbelly is unique in the local birding world. To me, Scrub Jays are a dull turquoise. Western Bluebirds are a gleaming Dutch blue. Tree Swallows are like sapphires and diamonds in flight. I simply haven’t found words yet to quite describe the iridescence of the Lazuli Bunting we saw last year. But the Stellar’s Jay is decidedly royal blue, growing sooty and then black towards his neck and head. I’ve tried to capture the right tints here in my illustration of the bird. A single feather from this bird would identify him to me, and whenever I chance to see one, I am struck with his masterful air of self-sufficience and reserve.

The Stellar’s Jay can measure up to 13 1/2″ from beak to tail, and has a steady flight with swooping glides. Close observation reveals blue and black barring on wing and tail feathers. In my own experience, I see these birds either singly or in nesting pairs, but they can also appear in small flocks. Bold colors and crested head should make this bird a snap to identify, even if you are brand new to the birding world.

Should you visit Jack London State Park this winter, do keep an eye out for the Varied Thrush, Red-shafted Flicker, Townsend’s Warbler, Acorn Woodpecker, and of course, the Stellar’s Jay.