Steller’s jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) are medium-sized, crested jays found in coniferous forests of western North America. Their range extends from southern Alaska through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and into parts of Nevada and New Mexico. Steller’s jays are intelligent, adaptable birds that have thrived alongside humans, taking advantage of backyard feeders and nesting sites provided by landscaping. But do they make their home in the Evergreen State of Washington? Let’s take a closer look at the range, habitat, identification and behavior of Steller’s jays to find out.
Steller’s Jay Range and Habitat
Steller’s jays are found throughout forested areas of Washington state west of the Cascade Mountains. Their range covers the entire western third of the state including the Olympic Peninsula, Puget Sound lowlands, southwest interior, and coastal regions.
Within their range, Steller’s jays occupy coniferous forests and mixed evergreen-deciduous woodlands up to 9,800 feet in elevation. They thrive in habitats with lots of tall trees for nesting, roosting and food caching. This includes mature and second-growth stands of pine, fir, spruce, hemlock, redcedar, oak and other trees. Steller’s jays are highly adaptable and can also be found along forest edges, in parks, suburban neighborhoods and backyards where conifers are present.
Key Habitats in Washington
Some key habitats favored by Steller’s jays in Washington include:
- Coastal rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula and Pacific coast
- Puget Sound lowlands from Olympia through Seattle into Canada
- Western slopes of the Cascade Mountains
- Oak woodlands of Whidbey, Camano and other islands
- Rural forests, parks and backyards of western Washington towns and cities
As long as conifers are present for nesting and roosting, Steller’s jays are well-adapted to a variety of conditions across western Washington.
Identifying Steller’s Jays
Steller’s jays are medium-sized songbirds, around 11-12 inches long with a wingspan of 13-16 inches. They have short, rounded wings and a long tail. Their most distinctive feature is a prominent black crest that raises or lowers to signal the jay’s mood.
Adults have blue upperparts, a black head, and intense blue and black barring on their wings and tail. The face has a dark “mask” outline from the crest down through the eyes and chin. Their underparts vary geographically – coastal jays are deep blue on the chest and belly, while inland jays have a lighter blue-gray chest and darker gray belly.
Young jays resemble adults, but have darker gray-brown plumage overall and a shorter crest. Juveniles transition to adult plumage after one year.
Distinguishing Features
- Blue upperparts
- Black head and crest
- Blue and black barred wings and tail
- Dark “mask” pattern on face
- Blue or blue-gray underparts
The only similar bird is the scrub jay, but it lacks the crest and heavy blue and black markings of the Steller’s jay.
Steller’s Jay Behavior
Steller’s jays exhibit some classic corvid behaviors along with unique traits of their own:
- Intelligence – Excellent memory, observational skills and problem solving.
- Tool use – Use sticks and other objects to access food.
- Mimicry – Can imitate calls of hawks and other birds.
- Caching behavior – Store excess food in caches for later recovery.
- Sentinel behavior – Perch atop trees and call loudly when predators are near.
- Curiosity – Boldly investigate new objects and situations in their environment.
- Playfulness – Engage in acrobatic aerial play and object manipulation play.
Steller’s jays form permanent social pairs that may last several breeding seasons or life. Pairs stay together year-round and engage in mutual preening and courtship feeding.
Flocks form in fall and winter as young birds disperse and join non-breeding adults. This helps the jays locate food sources and mob predators.
Breeding and Nesting
The breeding season for Steller’s jays lasts from March to July in Washington. Nest building typically begins in early spring, with peak activity in April and May.
The female selects the nest site, often near the top of a conifer tree 15-50 feet up. Both sexes participate in nest construction, forming a sturdy cup of twigs, bark, moss, lichens and other materials. The inside is lined with fine rootlets.
Females lay 3-5 light brown, darkly blotched eggs and incubate them for 16-18 days. The male provides all her food during incubation. Nestlings fledge at 18-21 days old but remain with and are fed by the parents for several more weeks.
Steller’s jay pairs are territorial and may even harass or attack intruders near the nest. They typically raise one brood per year.
Diet
Steller’s jays are omnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of plant and animal material. Their diet includes:
- Acorns, nuts, seeds and grains
- Fruit such as apples, cherries, berries
- Insects and spiders
- Amphibians, eggs and nestlings
- Small mammals, reptiles and fish
- Carrion and human food waste
- Backyard bird food (suet, peanuts)
Jays act as forest stewards by spreading and planting acorns and pine nuts. Their caching behavior also helps disperse seeds and replenish forests.
Spring | Insects, caterpillars, bird eggs, nestlings, fruits, seeds |
---|---|
Summer | Berries, fruits, nuts, fledgling birds, human food scraps |
Fall | Acorns, nuts, grains, seeds, fruits, carrion, suet |
Winter | Cached foods, suet, peanuts, human food waste |
Their varied diet lets Steller’s jays adapt to seasonal changes and diversify food sources. Caching ensures they have reserve food in winter when resources are scarce.
Interactions with Humans
Steller’s jays are common backyard birds thanks to their comfort around humans and readiness to visit feeders. However, some consider them pests for their bold behavior.
Backyard Visitors
Steller’s jays frequently visit yards with mature conifers, especially where supplemental feeders are present. They prefer black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, cracked corn, and mealworms. platforms, hopper and tube feeders.
Jays become accustomed to routine feeding times and will give loud, demanding calls if impatient for food. They are intelligent enough to come to windows or doors and vocally ask humans to fill feeders. Some even mimic calls of more desirable birds like chickadees to entice people to feed them.
Garden Pests
The intelligence and food-caching behavior that make Steller’s jays successful can also make them backyard pests. Their excellent memory helps them find hidden food stores and raid unattended feeders.
Jays also eat soft fruits and vegetables from gardens, especially corn, beans, cherries and berries. They dig up newly planted seeds and seedlings for food. And they have been known to pilfer decorative fruits and vegetables from porches and display stands.
Deterrents like fake predators, water sprayers and noisemakers are only temporarily effective against Steller’s jays. The best solution is preventive measures like securely covering fruit crops and gardens and using squirrel-proof feeders.
Population Status
According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Steller’s jays remain common and their populations are actually increasing in many areas. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 5.5 million with 98% spending some part of the year in the U.S. The species rates a 9 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and is not on the 2016 State of North America’s Birds’ Watch List.
Reasons for Population Growth
Several factors contribute to stable and growing Steller’s jay populations:
- Adaptability to human settlements, backyard feeding, landscaping
- Reforestation of previously logged areas in their range
- Lack of major threats to survival and reproduction
- Generalist diet lets them exploit diverse food sources
- Caching behavior provides food reserves in harsh conditions
- Ability to disperse and colonize new habitats
As intelligent, highly adaptable birds, Steller’s jays are poised to continue thriving alongside humans. Barring a future increase in threats, their populations should remain robust.
Conclusion
In summary, Steller’s jays are a common sight and sound across the coniferous forests of western Washington. Their range covers the entire portion of the state west of the Cascades. Within western Washington they inhabit rainforests, mountain slopes, oak woodlands, parks and backyards – anywhere tall conifers are present.
Thanks to their intelligence and adaptability, Steller’s jays have learned to flourish in proximity to humans. They frequently visit backyard bird feeders and nest in trees provided by landscaping. But these same traits also make them pesky garden raiders.
Overall, Washington’s Steller’s jay populations appear secure and on the increase. Their adaptability sets them up to continue thriving in the state alongside human settlements. So the next time you hear the noisy caws and calls of a Steller’s jay, you can be assured they are a native and welcome member of Washington’s avifauna.