Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dwarf Jay
Cyanolyca nanus
Dwarf Jay (Cyanolyca nanus) — 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 Dwarf Jay (Cyanolyca nanus) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 41 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 Cyanolyca
- Species nanus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 41 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dwarf Jay is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Dwarf Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dwarf Jay (Cyanolyca nanus) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA sw Mexico.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 41 g, with a wing length of about 11.3 cm and a tail of around 11.4 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 4,671 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dwarf Jay?
The Dwarf Jay is a small bird that weighs around 41 g.
Where does the Dwarf Jay live?
The Dwarf Jay is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA sw Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Dwarf Jay belong to?
The Dwarf Jay (Cyanolyca nanus) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Dwarf Jay eat?
The Dwarf Jay is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Dwarf Jay migrate?
The Dwarf Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dwarf 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 Dwarf Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Dwarf Jay — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Dwarf Jay's range?
The Dwarf Jay has a mapped global range of about 4,671 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.