Photo: en:User:Cburnett / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purplish-backed Jay
Cyanocorax beecheii
Purplish-backed Jay (Cyanocorax beecheii) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purplish-backed Jay (Cyanocorax beecheii) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 193 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 Cyanocorax
- Species beecheii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 193 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purplish-backed 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 Purplish-backed Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Purplish-backed Jay (Cyanocorax beecheii) is a member of the Corvidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA nw Mexico.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 193 g, with a wing length of about 17.1 cm and a tail of around 18.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 86,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purplish-backed Jay?
The Purplish-backed Jay is a large bird that weighs around 193 g.
Where does the Purplish-backed Jay live?
The Purplish-backed Jay is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA nw Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Purplish-backed Jay belong to?
The Purplish-backed Jay (Cyanocorax beecheii) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Purplish-backed Jay eat?
The Purplish-backed Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Purplish-backed Jay migrate?
The Purplish-backed Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Purplish-backed 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 Purplish-backed Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Purplish-backed 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 Purplish-backed Jay's range?
The Purplish-backed Jay has a mapped global range of about 86,000 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
More in Corvidae
Critically Endangered
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
More in Corvids
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.