Blue Jay
Blue JayBlue JayBlue JayBlue Jay

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Rocky Mountain National Park
74 Verified records at Rocky Mountain National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also in Newfoundland, Canada; breeding populations are found across southern Canada. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common in residential areas. Its coloration is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest; it has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, which does not vary throughout the year. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Jay sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 74 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Rocky Mountain National Park

Steller's Jay
LC Endemic

Steller's Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocitta stelleri

60–70% · Likely
Black-billed Magpie
LC

Black-billed Magpie

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pica hudsonia

60–70% · Likely
American Crow
LC

American Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus brachyrhynchos

60–70% · Likely
Common Raven
LC

Common Raven

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus corax

50–60% · Likely
Clark's Nutcracker
LC

Clark's Nutcracker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nucifraga columbiana

30–40% · Possible
Gray Jay
LC

Gray Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Perisoreus canadensis

5–10% · With luck
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aphelocoma woodhouseii

<5% · Rare
Pinyon Jay
VU

Pinyon Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus

<5% · Rare
Mountain Chickadee
LC

Mountain Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile gambeli

80–90% · Very likely
American Robin
LC Endemic

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

70–80% · Very likely
Pygmy Nuthatch
LC

Pygmy Nuthatch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sitta pygmaea

60–70% · Likely
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

60–70% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
70–80%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
3 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
5 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
7 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
8 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
9 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
10 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
11 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
12 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
13 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
14 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
15 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
16 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
17 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
18 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
20 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
21 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
22 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Blue Jay in Rocky Mountain National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Jay sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 74 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Blue Jay in Rocky Mountain National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Blue Jay in Rocky Mountain National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Rocky Mountain National Park