(Click on picture to enlarge)
©
Walter Bauer - San Antonio, Texas 1999-2000
Field
Marks: A crestless blue-and-gray jay
found in scrub-oak barrens. These social birds are noisy and conspicuous; they
characteristically jerk their body up and down with each call note. Bounding
flight involves bouts of rapid flapping, alternating with sweeping, gliding
arcs. Adults have a blue head, wings, rump, and tail. The throat and forehead
are whitish with grayish streaking. The eye line is white. Ear patch is dusky.
The back and underparts are grayish. There is a vague blue necklace on the
breast.
Voice: Calls are varied. Common ones
include a raucous, slightly metallic, sharply inflected iennk and a rapid series
of harsh quick-quick-quick notes.
Where found: South Canada, East of
Rockies south to Gulf States.
Texas: Resident in w. Texas east to
San Angelo; locally to cent. Parts of the Edwards Plateau (Kerrville, Boerne,
San Antonio). Winters also to El Paso, Big Spring, and Panhandle; casually to e.
edge of Plateau.
Habitat: Scrub Oak, brush, cedars.
Nest: A twiggy bowl in oak. Eggs are
greenish, spotted. They lay up to 4.