Jay WESTERN BIRDS 



GENUS CYANOCITTA: STELLER'S 

 JAY. 



Steller*s Jay: Cyanocitta stelleri stelleri. 

 FAMILY— MAGPIES AND JAYS. 



The Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountain region 

 are the homes of five varieties of crested Jays, which 

 though not so handsome as the eastern species, are 

 showy fellows, noisy and jolly, but for the most part 

 dwellers of the mountains, although in the northern part 

 of their range they live among the big trees in the lower 

 regions. 



The Steller Jay is leader of the clan and the others 

 are subspecies. This beautiful blue bird is twelve or 

 thirteen inches long with head, neck and back a dull 

 black; lower back and under parts, blue; wings and tail 

 deep purplish-blue, barred with black. 



This jaunty bird is a resident from Alaska south into 

 Oregon. It is unmistakably a Jay in voice and habits, 

 but is not so friendly as either the Blue Jay or the 

 California, although it sometimes ventures to the edges 

 of valleys and into orchards for fruit, of which it is fond. 

 If perchance you have a canyon ranch the bird will visit 

 you; and if you are camping in the mountains he will 

 not only favor you with calls (of more than one kind), 

 but will steal bacon, butter, and everything edible in 

 sight. The worst part of it is that he does not confine 

 himself to robbing human beings but during the nesting 

 season he destroys far too many young birds and eggs. 

 According to Prof. Beal the bird eats few insects that 

 are injurious to the orchardist or farmer and therefore 

 has no good points to offset this atrocious bird-eating 

 habit. More than that Mr. Dawson tells us that in 

 Washington these feathered robbers delight in corn, cab- 



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