The Steller’s jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a striking blue and black bird found along the Pacific coast of North America. With its bold markings, loud calls, and curious nature, the Steller’s jay is a familiar sight in many western forests. But just how rare is this bird? Let’s take a closer look at the Steller’s jay’s range, population trends, and conservation status to understand its rarity.
Range and Population
The Steller’s jay is found in coniferous forests along the Pacific coast, from Alaska south to central Mexico. Its range spans over 68,000 square miles along the coast and in mountain ranges near the coast such as the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. Within this wide geographic range, Steller’s jays are common and their populations appear stable. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 3.5 million birds. Audubon estimates the species’ population is around 4 million. While exact numbers are hard to ascertain, experts agree that Steller’s jay populations number in the millions across the West Coast.
Compared to related jay species with small pockets of isolated populations, such as the Florida scrub-jay and island scrub-jay, the Steller’s jay is relatively abundant throughout its widespread and connected range. Development, logging, and habitat loss do threaten jay populations in localized areas along the coast. However, on a global scale these impacts have not yet significantly reduced total Steller’s jay numbers.
Conservation Status
Given its large population size and extensive range, the Steller’s jay is considered a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is not listed as threatened or endangered at either state or federal levels across its range in the United States. While some local populations may be declining, from a global perspective the species as a whole appears to be in good shape.
Rarity Compared to Other Birds
The Steller’s jay’s common status stands in contrast to related blue jays found in more restricted ranges further east, such as the Florida scrub-jay and island scrub-jay. It also differs from jays that exist only in very limited isolated pockets, such as the Maroon-fronted jay of Mexico and Brown jay of Texas. Compared to Western tanagers, spotted owls, marbled murrelets and other birds with small, fragmented populations in old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Steller’s jay is still a widespread, common species.
Globally rare species with restricted ranges like the California condor and Kakapo of New Zealand only number in the hundreds or thousands of individuals. The Steller’s jay, while less common than ultra-abundant species like European starlings or house sparrows, exists in the millions across western North America from Alaska to Mexico. So while the Steller’s jay may be declining locally in parts of its range, from a global conservation perspective, it cannot be considered highly rare or endangered.
Key Facts and Figures
- Global population estimate: 3.5 to 4 million
- Range: Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico, over 68,000 square miles
- IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
- Not federally listed as threatened or endangered
How Rare are Steller’s Jays in Specific Areas?
Alaska
In Alaska, Steller’s jays are widespread and common year-round residents. They are found along the entire Alaskan coastline from the Aleutian Islands to the southeastern Panhandle region. Audubon estimates their Alaska population at 300,000 birds. Compared to rare endemic Alaskan birds with small populations like the McKay’s Bunting (est. 10,000 individuals) or the Rock Sandpiper (est. 50,000 individuals), the Steller’s jay numbers in the hundreds of thousands across the state and cannot be considered highly rare or endangered within Alaska.
Washington
Washington State is home to an estimated 350,000 Steller’s jays, making them a widespread and often noticed bird. Compared to the Northern Spotted Owl which numbers around 3,000 in Washington, the Steller’s Jay is about 100 times more abundant in the state. While limited in higher elevations and the drier eastern parts of Washington, Steller’s Jays are a common to very common sight west of the Cascades where ample coniferous forest habitat exists.
Oregon
Steller’s Jays are common year-round residents west of the Cascades and along the Oregon coast. Partners in Flight estimate around 320,000 jays live in Oregon, though they have become less common in recent decades, especially in urban areas. This contrasts sharply with species like the Marbled Murrelet which has seen populations plunge to around 9,600 birds in Oregon due to loss of old-growth forest nesting habitat. While the Steller’s Jay population has declined, it is not rare or endangered in Oregon the way coastal and montane species with much smaller populations are.
California
California is home to an estimated 730,000 Steller’s Jays, making them a common to abundant species over much of the state. They occur year-round across forested habitats on the northern coast and at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. Compared to endangered California endemic bird species like the California Condor which number around 300 individuals or the Island Scrub-Jay at just over 2,000 birds, the Steller’s Jay is still abundant. However, some localized populations in coastal California urban areas have declined sharply in recent decades, making jays less common than they once were due to habitat loss.
Southwestern States
In states like Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Colorado, Steller’s Jays are common mainly at higher elevations in forested mountain habitats. They are rarer in lowland deserts and scrublands. While they may be locally uncommon in such habitats, their mountain populations remain robust and they are not considered rare or endangered across their range in the southwest. Compared to species like the Mexican Spotted Owl with around 1,200 individuals in the region, the Steller’s Jay still maintains stable populations in suitable forest habitat.
Conclusion
While the Steller’s jay has declined in some urban and lowland areas along the West Coast, from a global perspective, it remains a relatively common bird across its widespread range. With large populations numbering in the millions, a vast geographic distribution, and stable numbers in most regions, the Steller’s jay cannot be considered highly rare or endangered. However, more study is needed on urban populations that may be declining more severely in localized areas across the jay’s coastal range.