Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tufted Jay
Cyanocorax dickeyi
Tufted Jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Tufted Jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 181 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
- Genus Cyanocorax
- Species dickeyi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 181 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tufted Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Tufted Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tufted Jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA w Mexico.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 181 g, with a wing length of about 17.3 cm and a tail of around 16.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 13,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tufted Jay?
The Tufted Jay is a large bird that weighs around 181 g.
Where does the Tufted Jay live?
The Tufted Jay is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA w Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Tufted Jay belong to?
The Tufted Jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Tufted Jay eat?
The Tufted Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Tufted Jay migrate?
The Tufted Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tufted Jay endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Tufted Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Tufted Jay — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Tufted Jay's range?
The Tufted Jay has a mapped global range of about 13,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Feeders for Jays & Larger Garden Birds
How to choose a feeder for jays and other big, bold garden birds — the styles that suit peanuts and larger food, and how to keep them from crowding your small-bird feeders. A decision framework with the species in the Birbs encyclopedia.