GREEN JAY

(Cyanocorax yncas)

eBird gives this description for the Green Jay:  Striking jay with lime-green body, yellow outer tail feathers, and black-and-blue head. Slightly smaller than other jays. Usually found in flocks in open woodland with brushy understory. Visits feeders for fruit and seeds.  All About Birds describes the Green Jay this way:  A brilliant green, yellow, and blue jay of the tropics whose range barely stretches to southern Texas, the Green Jay is a noisy, colorful delight. The birds travel in conspicuous family flocks through brushlands and forests, seeking insects, small vertebrates, and fruit to eat. Like other jays and crows, this species is an incredibly versatile forager equally comfortable at picking, gleaning, pouncing, and even flycatching. During the breeding season, from April through June, these garrulous birds settle down and become a bit quieter.

The Green Jay was one of the main target birds for my June, 2020 Father’s Day birding trip to the Rio Grande Valley.  I saw my first Green Jay at the Brooks County Safety Rest Area, 9 miles south of Falfurrias on Highway 281.  I was so excited to see this colorful and active bird.  I saw Green Jays at several other locations in the Rio Grande Valley.  I saw them at the Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary and at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge  (By the way, to see the live Bird Feeder Camera at Sabal Palm, click here — you might see a Green Jay live!)  I enjoyed watching these birds each and every time I encountered them.  I hope you enjoy my photos!

Green Jay at the rest stop south of Falfurrias, Texas, June 21, 2020.
Another shot of the Green Jay at the Falfurrias rest stop on June 21, 2020.
A Green Jay and a White Tipped Dove sharing a feeder at Sabal Palm Sanctuary south of Brownsville, June 22, 2020.
Green Jay at Laguna Atascosa, June 23, 2020.
This shot from Laguna Atascosa shows off the beautiful yellow tail feathers found on the Green Jay, June 23, 2020.
Detail of colors on the head of a Green Jay at Laguna Atascosa, June 23, 2020.
One final view of the beautiful Green Jay. Laguna Atascosa, June 23, 2020.


“Cool Facts” About The Green Jay From All About Birds…

  • Green Jays use sticks to pry up loose bark, exposing insect prey. They are among the few North American bird species known to use tools.
  • Green Jays, like the more familiar Blue Jays, are excellent mimics. In Texas, they may imitate the call of various hawks to frighten away other bird species (such as Plain Chachalacas) from food they want to eat.
  • The Central American and South American populations of the Green Jay are separated by 900 mi. The two different groups differ in color, calls, and habitat use, and they may be different species. The South American Green Jays are larger and have a crest in front of their eyes.
  • A Texas Green Jay flock consists of a breeding pair, the current year’s nestlings, and 1-year-old, nonbreeding jays from the previous year’s nest. The 1-year-olds defend the territory, which aids the parents, but they are ejected from the family flock soon after the current year’s nestlings have fledged.
  • In Colombia, the Green Jay retains offspring for several years, and those young help the parents raise more chicks.
  • The oldest recorded Green Jay was at least 11 years, 7 months old, and lived in Texas.