ReadMore - Long-crested Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha)

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This page last updated on 02/03/2018

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: Near the end of December, on a hike to Cottonwood Spring off Northshore Road roughly 25 miles north of Las Vegas, I captured this picture of a bird that was flying back and forth between a grouping of small willow trees in the area just south of the spring. Using the 720 telephoto setting on my lens, I got lucky and captured the picture in (Fig. 01). As best as I have been able to identify, it appears to be some type of subspecies of the Steller's Jay. The only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains are the Steller's and the Blue Jays. Depending on the subspecies, the crest can be either blue or black colored. The hike can be found here ...  Cottonwood Springs.

Description:  The Steller Jay is generally 11 to 13 inches in length with a weight of between 3.5 to 5 oz. The plumage of the adult is generally a dark-plumage jay with a charcoal black head and a blue body, somewhat lighter on the wings. Black barring on the wings. It has a large head with a prominent triangular crest and a long, straight bill with a slight hook. It has chunky bodies, a long tail and rounded wings. Their range is found in the Rocky Mountains, from Nevada and Utah south to northern Sonora.