We've been enjoying watching a new family of California Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) explore our backyard. At least four juveniles fledged from a nest in a tree in the corner of our yard. (No wonder the adults were so busy during the last few weeks!) Compared to the adults, note the shorter bill and the pale gape (pinkish stripe at the base of the bill). The juveniles are also grayer and softer looking, and their wings are shorter.
To compare these juveniles with adult California Scrub-Jays, review photos from posts on 6 November 2015 and 13 December 2015.
CORRIGENDA (7 June 2017): David wrote to point out that there has been a taxonomic change with scrub-jays. So in this post I've changed the common name of this species from Western Scrub-Jay to California Scrub-Jay. (Recently, the "Western Scrub-Jay" was reclassified into two species based on differences in distribution, morphology, behavior, DNA, etc. The second species is now called Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) and is found in the southwestern part of the country.)
1 comment:
Western Scrub Jay has been split. Our Scrub Jay is now California Scrub Jay. There is no more Western Scrub Jay.
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