Bird
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californicaAlso known as Western Scrub-Jay, California Jay
California scrub-jays are bold, highly intelligent corvids that play a critical role in oak woodland regeneration by caching thousands of acorns each autumn. Equipped with episodic memory, individuals remember not only where they hid their food stores, but also which items spoil fastest and who was watching them hide them. Their rasping calls ring out across chaparral slopes and suburban gardens year-round.
IntelligentSuburbanVocal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAcorns, Insects, Lizards
Predators
- Domestic Cat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Western Rattlesnake
ThreatsHabitat loss, West Nile virus, domestic cat predation
HabitatsOak woodlands, chaparral, suburban parks, residential gardens
Life span9–15 years
Classification
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyCorvidae
- GenusAphelocoma
- SpeciesAphelocoma californica
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Feeder Visits: Offer unsalted peanuts in the shell to attract them to garden feeding stations.
- Nesting Etiquette: Give nesting pairs space during spring to avoid territorial dive-bombing.
- Garden Planting: Native oak trees encourage natural foraging and caching behaviors.
Competitor no rights reserved, uploaded by Zoltán Stekkelpak · cc0
Look-alike (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Host Plant (c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Peter Wallack / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Nigel Voaden, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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