Photo: VJAnderson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of North America.
Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 128 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 Cyanocitta
- Species stelleri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 128 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look essentially alike (blackish head/crest, deep blue body); females may show marginally fainter tail barring and slightly smaller size, but this is too subtle and inconsistent for reliable field sexing.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles resemble adults but are somewhat duller and browner-tinged before acquiring full blue.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Steller’s 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 Steller’s Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 128 g, with a wing length of about 14.6 cm and a tail of around 13.3 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 3.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Steller’s Jay?
The Steller’s Jay is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 128 g.
Where does the Steller’s Jay live?
The Steller’s Jay is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Steller’s Jay belong to?
The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Steller’s Jay eat?
The Steller’s Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Steller’s Jay migrate?
The Steller’s Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Steller’s 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 Steller’s Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Steller’s 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 Steller’s Jay's range?
The Steller’s Jay has a mapped global range of about 3.6 million 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
Not Evaluated
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Corvids
Near Threatened
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.
Blue Jay vs Steller’s Jay: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Blue Jay from a Steller’s Jay — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.