Steller’s jays and blue jays are two types of jays found in North America. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between these two birds in terms of their appearance, behavior, habitat, range, diet, and more.
Quick Facts
Here is a quick overview of the differences between Steller’s jays and blue jays:
Feature | Steller’s Jay | Blue Jay |
Scientific name | Cyanocitta stelleri | Cyanocitta cristata |
Size | 12-13 inches long | 9-12 inches long |
Color | Dark blue and black with white streaks on head | Blue, white, and black with a blue crest |
Range | Western North America | Eastern and central North America |
Habitat | Coniferous forests | Various woodlands and suburbs |
Diet | Omnivorous – eats insects, seeds, nuts, eggs, small vertebrates | Omnivorous – eats insects, seeds, nuts, eggs, small vertebrates |
Behavior | Intelligent, social, noisy, aggressive at feeders | Intelligent, social, noisy, aggressive at feeders |
Appearance
The most noticeable difference between Steller’s jays and blue jays is their appearance. While both species have blue feathers, the specific coloration and markings are distinct.
Steller’s jays have deep blue and black plumage covering most of their body. Their heads feature a black mohawk crest and bright white streaks on the forehead and above the bill. They have a long blue tail with black banding. Their eyes are dark brown to black, and they have a long black bill and legs.
Blue jays are a lighter blue on their back and tail, with a white belly and chest. Their most distinctive marking is the blue crest on their head, which is smaller than the crest on Steller’s jays. Blue jays have white and black barring on their wings and tail, along with white and black streaking on their head. They have a black collar around their necks and throats. Their eyes, bill, and legs are all black.
The blue shade on a Steller’s jay has a darker, almost purplish-blue tone compared to the brighter, azure blue of a blue jay. Steller’s jays also average slightly larger in size than blue jays.
Geographic Range
Steller’s jays and blue jays occupy distinct geographic ranges in North America.
Steller’s jays are found along the western coast of North America, from Alaska down through western Canada to the Pacific Northwest and into Central America. They reside predominantly in coniferous forest habitats within this range.
Blue jays have a broader range that extends through eastern and central parts of North America. They are found from southern Canada down to Florida and eastern Texas, and west to the Great Plains. Blue jays adapt well to many habitat types including both deciduous and coniferous forests as well as suburban areas with trees.
There is a small overlap zone where both species can be found in areas of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana. This represents the western edge of the blue jay’s range and the eastern extent of the Steller’s jay’s territory.
Habitat
As mentioned above, Steller’s jays and blue jays frequent different habitat types matching their range. A key difference is that Steller’s jays are more closely associated with coniferous forests while blue jays utilize a broader variety of wooded areas.
Specific habitats for Steller’s jays include:
- Coniferous forests – pine, spruce, cedar, fir, juniper
- Mixed evergreen forests
- Mountain forests
- Pine-oak woodlands
- Some parks and residential areas with conifers
Blue jay habitats include:
- Deciduous forests – oak, maple, beech, hickory, birch
- Coniferous and mixed forests
- Open woodlands
- Parks and residential areas with trees
- Forest edges
Blue jays are generalists when it comes to habitats and are very adaptable. Steller’s jays strongly prefer coniferous woods within their range.
Behavior
Steller’s jays and blue jays exhibit similar behaviors in many respects. Both species are intelligent, social, vocal, and aggressive at bird feeders.
These jays use a wide range of calls and sounds to communicate. They form lifelong pair bonds and family groups. They cache food to recover later. They are inquisitive and sometimes approach people. Both jays will attack or mob potential predators when defending nests.
A few differences stand out in their behavior:
- Steller’s jays are more aggressive about driving away other birds from feeders and nesting areas.
- Blue jays migrate in some parts of their range, while Steller’s jays do not migrate.
- Steller’s jays are more dependent on pine seeds and nuts; blue jays have a more diverse diet.
- Steller’s jays build bulky nests on horizontal tree branches; blue jays build smaller cup nests in trees.
Diet
Steller’s jays and blue jays are both omnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of plant and animal material. Their diets overlap in many respects.
Foods consumed by both species include:
- Insects
- Spiders
- Snails
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Fruit
- Bird eggs
- Nestlings
- Small rodents
- Grains
- Pet food
- Scraps from human food or refuse
Their omnivorous feeding habits allow them to thrive in a variety of environments. However, Steller’s jays rely more heavily on pine nuts and seeds within conifer cones as a food staple. Blue jays consume a wider array of fruits, seeds, and arthropods.
Reproduction
Steller’s jays and blue jays share similar reproductive behaviors and timing.
Key facts about their breeding include:
- Form lifelong pair bonds
- Build nests in early spring
- Lay eggs in April to June
- Clutch size is typically 3-6 eggs
- Incubation lasts 16-18 days
- Young fledge from nest at 18-21 days old
- Females perform most incubation and brooding
- Males help feed nestlings
- Family groups remain together after breeding season
Nest types differ with Steller’s jays building large, cup-like nests on horizontal branches, while blue jays build smaller, compact cup nests tucked into vertical tree limbs.
Vocalizations
Steller’s jays and blue jays both have extensive vocal repertoires. However, their calls sound different to birders.
Steller’s jays make harsh, rasping sounds like “shaar” or “shek.” They mix series of rattling, croaking, and whistling sounds when communicating. One unique call sounds like a drop of water falling into a pool.
Blue jays make loud, ringing calls like “jeeah” along with a wide range of jeers, chucks, gurgles, and whistles. One of their most common calls is a 3-4 note rising song that sounds like “thief, thief, thief.”
The calls of Steller’s jays have a harsher, more primitive quality compared to the clearer, ringing voices of blue jays. Learning these vocal differences helps birders distinguish between the two species.
Intelligence and Cognition
Members of the jay family (corvids) are among the most intelligent birds. Both Steller’s jays and blue jays display remarkable intelligence and problem-solving abilities.
These behaviors include:
- Using tools to access food
- Solving complex puzzles
- Hiding and recovering thousands of seeds and nuts each year
- Recognizing faces of people and other jays
- Mimicking calls of other bird species
- Working collaboratively to mob predators
Studies show the cognition of jays rivals that of primates in some respects. There are no clear differences in intelligence between Steller’s jays and blue jays – both are highly intelligent by bird standards.
Conservation Status
Both Steller’s jays and blue jays have thriving, stable populations. Neither species is endangered or considered a conservation concern presently.
Blue jays are classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Their global population totals 28 million with over 11 million in the U.S. and Canada. Their range increased northward over the past century as forest habitats expanded.
Steller’s jays have a much smaller global population estimated at 3.5 million birds. But their population is steady throughout their native range in western North America. They are classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Interactions with Humans
The bold and intelligent nature of Steller’s jays and blue jays means they interact regularly with humans. Both species readily visit bird feeders and will nest in nearby trees.
While their loud calls and aggressive habits can annoy some people, these jays provide endless entertainment with their antics. Their use of human-provided food and water helps them thrive alongside human development.
Some key facts about their human interactions include:
- Omnivorous diet allows them to capitalize on anthropogenic food sources
- Nest raiding by jays encourages people to use squirrel guards
- Distinctive voices make them a favorite among birders
- Role as forest seed dispersers is valuable in regrowing logged forests
- Serve as iconic mascots for sports teams like the St. Louis Blues and Blue Jays
Summary of Differences
In summary, while Steller’s jays and blue jays occupy separate ranges and habitats in North America, they share many traits common among the jay family, including intelligence, vocalizations, social nature, and omnivorous diets.
Key differences include Steller’s jays having darker blue and black plumage, a black crest, and white markings on the head. They strongly prefer coniferous forest habitats in the western U.S. and Canada. Blue jays have lighter blue feathers, a blue crest, and less distinct head markings. They range through much of eastern and central North America in diverse wooded habitats.
Understanding these variations in appearance, range, habitat, behavior, and ecology can help observers distinguish between these two iconic jay species.
Conclusion
Steller’s jays and blue jays showcase the dazzling diversity found across the jay family. Their shared traits like intelligence and tight social bonds are complemented by variations tailored to the specific environments they inhabit. While identification can be tricky in areas where their ranges overlap, most observers can readily distinguish between them by noting differences in color patterns, sounds, range, and habitat.
The unique behaviors and noisy voices of Steller’s jays and blue jays make them backyard favorites across North America. Comparing and contrasting these species provides insights into how evolution produces diversity within avian families to fill specialized niches across various ecosystems and geographies.