California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCorvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
- GenusAphelocoma (Scrub-Jays and Allies)
- SpeciesAphelocoma californica (California Scrub-Jay)
About the California Scrub-Jay
The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) is a species of scrub jay native to western North America. It ranges from southern British Columbia throughout California and western Nevada near Reno to west of the Sierra Nevada. The California scrub jay was once lumped with Woodhouse's scrub jay and collectively called the western scrub jay. IUCN and the Handbook of the Birds of the World maintain this lumped taxon. The group was also lumped with the island scrub jay and the Florida scrub jay; the taxon was then called simply scrub jay. The California scrub jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub jays as "blue jays", the blue jay is a different species of bird entirely.
The generic name, Aphelocoma, derives from Latinized Ancient Greek apheles- (from ἀφελής-) "simple" + Latin coma (from Greek kome κόμη) "hair", in reference to the lack of striped or banded feathers in this genus, compared to other jays. The species name, californica, is Latin for "from California".
The California scrub jay is a medium-sized bird, approximately 27–31 cm (11–12 in) in length... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Cabo Pulmo National Park
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
Gray Thrasher
Toxostoma cinereum
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Pyrrhuloxia
Cardinalis sinuatus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Scrub-Jay in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in Cabo Pulmo National Park, based on 90 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Scrub-Jay in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for California Scrub-Jay in Cabo Pulmo National Park in our monthly data.