photo by Jennifer Hennessy

White Tailed Jay
Cyanocorax mystaclis

Hey Jay, where do you stay? The White-Tailed jay lives in dry woodlands and scrub forests of the Pacific lowlands of the Peru-Ecuador border. It has a very limited range and is rarely seen far from the Peru-Ecuador border.

Diet: This Jay enjoys a delicious variety of invertebrates and seeds.  

What is white, black and blue all over? A White Tailed Jay of course! The bird’s head, throat & breast are black. They have a spot above eye and broad whisker white. The hind crown, upper back and lower under parts are white with wings of bright blue.  The tail is mostly white with central feathers colored blue and yellow eyes.

Standing in at 12 inches tall… this jay is bold and inquisitive. It works both the tree canopy and lower down in scrubby habitats, including foraging on the ground for food. Its typical vocalization is chatter like sounds.

Status: common, but only in its small area of habituation.

Australasia | Conservation Corner | Madagascar |
Marco Polo Trail | North America | Plains of Africa | Tropical America