Brown Jay

Brown Jay

Psilorhinus morio

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
at Tikal National Park
2,454 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
27,282 Verified sightings across all 39 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Brown Jay

The brown jay (Cyanocorax morio) is a large jay native to Central America and southern Texas. The brown jay was formerly placed in its own genus Psilorhinus. When molecular phylogenetic studies found that the genus Cyanocorax was paraphyletic relative to Psilorhinus, Psilorhinus was subsumed into Cyanocorax to resolve the paraphyly.

Three subspecies are recognised: C. m. palliatus (Van Rossem, 1934) – extreme south Texas (south USA) and northeast, east Mexico C. m. morio (Wagler, 1829) – southeast Mexico to west Panama C. m. vociferus (Cabot, S, 1843) – north Yucatán Peninsula (southeast Mexico)

Brown jays vary in plumage geographically: there are two main groups. Northern birds are almost completely dark brown, with lighter brown on the underparts. Southern birds are white-bellied and have bright white tips to the outer tail feathers. The intergrade zone is in Veracruz, Mexico. Adults in both populations have black bills, legs, and feet. Immatures have yellow bare parts, including yellow eye-rings.

The voice is a loud but low-pitched pee-ah call and is often modified to suit its situation or mood. The northernmost extent... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Green Jay
LC

Green Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocorax yncas

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yucatán Jay
LC

Yucatán Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocorax yucatanicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Montezuma Oropendola
LC

Montezuma Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Melodious Blackbird
LC

Melodious Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dives dives

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Social Flycatcher
LC

Social Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Magnolia Warbler
LC

Magnolia Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga magnolia

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Lesser Greenlet
LC

Lesser Greenlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylophilus decurtatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Spot-breasted Wren
LC

Spot-breasted Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheugopedius maculipectus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Black-and-white Warbler
LC

Black-and-white Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mniotilta varia

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Masked Tityra
LC

Masked Tityra

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tityra semifasciata

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Wood Thrush
LC

Wood Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylocichla mustelina

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
LC

Olivaceous Woodcreeper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sittasomus griseicapillus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

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 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~90%
2 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~70%
3 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
5 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~70%
6 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~60%
7 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~60%
8 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~50%
9 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~50%
10 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~50%
11 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
12 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~40%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
14 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
15 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
16 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
17 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
20 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
21 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
22 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
23 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
27 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
30 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
32 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
34 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
35 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
37 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
38 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
39 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Jay in Tikal National Park?

About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Jay sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 2,454 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Brown Jay in Tikal National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Brown Jay in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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