Photo: Alan Vernon / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mexican Jay
Aphelocoma wollweberi
Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 113 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
- Genus Aphelocoma
- Species wollweberi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 113 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mexican Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Mexican Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA to c Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 113 g, with a wing length of about 16.1 cm and a tail of around 12.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 484,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mexican Jay?
The Mexican Jay is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 113 g.
Where does the Mexican Jay live?
The Mexican Jay is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA to c Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mexican Jay belong to?
The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mexican Jay eat?
The Mexican Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Mexican Jay migrate?
The Mexican Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mexican Jay endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Mexican Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Mexican Jay — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mexican Jay's range?
The Mexican Jay has a mapped global range of about 484,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Critically Endangered
Not Evaluated
Critically Endangered
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Least Concern
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.