Jay by a different name still a familiar friend
Whether it’s scrub or Woodhouse, you’ll find this bird all around NM
The Woodhouse’s jay is a familiar bird to most birdwatchers, but the name may not be. The Woodhouse’s jay, was for years known as the Western scrub jay and considered one species with the Florida scrub jay and the California scrub jay. With advances in genetic testing, it was recently discovered that the Western scrub jay is quite different from the Florida and California scrub jay; thus a new name was born.
The Woodhouse’s jay averages 11.5 inches long and has a light blue and gray body and whitish throat. It can be seen throughout the West, including New Mexico. It prefers open habitat like dry scrublands, woodlands of piñon and juniper and backyards in cities and suburbs. The Woodhouse’s rounded-crestless head sets it apart from blue jays and Steller’s jays. It differs from the California scrub jay by its thinner bill that it uses to get at pine nuts hidden between pine cone scales. The California scrub jay has a thicker and more hooked bill that it uses to hammer open acorns.
Like other jays, Woodhouse’s jays are vocal, assertive and curious. They have a raucous, loud call that is hard to miss. They often perch high in a tree or power line, acting as lookouts to warn other birds of nearby predators. Their diet consists of insects, small animals, seeds and nuts. In spring and summer, they feed mainly on insects, lizards and other small animals. In fall and winter, their diet changes to pine nuts, juniper berries and grass seeds. They even stand on the backs of mule deer to pick off ticks and other parasites.
The Woodhouse’s jay is a common visitor to backyard bird feeders and entertaining to watch. Its favorite food is, by far, peanuts in the shell. Like some other birds, jays store some of their food. I have seen a Woodhouse’s jay grab an in-shell peanut from my feeder and fly just a few feet away to stash it in a hanging plant.
Be sure to watch and listen for this beautiful jay. The Woodhouse’s jay is still common in the West, but populations are declining, mainly in New Mexico and parts of Mexico.