CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES 



to show interesting difPerences in shades of 

 hhie and gray, and in the pencilings about the 

 head and throat. They are all birds that are 

 found mostly in mountainous country or in 

 the high plateaus, being frequenters of pine 

 and fir and the oak timber of the south- 

 west. 



Although common in California, the Cali- 

 fornia jay thins out northerly through the 

 interior valleys, and for some unknown 

 reason it is now rare in districts where 

 formerly it was common. It is usually found 

 in oak woods where a large part of its food 

 consists of acorns. In common with most 

 jays it is very destructive of the eggs and 

 young of other small birds. It is also a 

 destroyer of a vast number of injurious 

 insects. 



The nest of the California jay is usually 

 found in low bushes or thickets near the 

 ground, or more rarely in trees. It is a noisy 

 bird and will often fill the woods with its 

 jmj, jay, jay, or quay, quay, quay, and some- 

 times hoy-ee, or kay-kee. 



Pinon jay, Cyanocephalus cyano- 



cephalus. 11.00 



Distribution: Pinon and juniper woods of 



the western United States from British 



8 113 



