Western Scrub Jay
Aphelocoma californica

The scrub jay is a member of the Corvidae family to
which various crows, ravens, and jays belong.
Like its fellow corvids, the western scrub jay exhibits
a loud, harsh call and enjoys an extremely varied diet of insects,
seeds, carrion, and fruit Birdfeeders stocked with peanuts in the
shell, dried corn kernels, and black oil sunflower seeds can attract
these birds for leisurely viewing.

Western scrub jays measure up to eleven inches in length and are
characterized by blue above with a white eyebrow and throat, a
grayish-white underside, and a band of gray-brown on the back and
behind the eyes. A year-round resident, the western scrub jay inhabits
oak and juniper woodlands as well as wooded suburban areas.
Often heard before they are seen, western scrub jays are easily viewed
throughout the west.