California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyCorvidae (Còrvids)
- GenusAphelocoma (Scrub-Jays and Allies)
- SpeciesAphelocoma californica (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. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 49 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Scrub-Jay in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 49 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Scrub-Jay in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
March has the highest sighting rate for California Scrub-Jay in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.