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% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 309 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Gray Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
📅 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 Olympic National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 309 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Scrub-Jay in Olympic National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for California Scrub-Jay in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.