288 Birds of Colorado 



83, p. 193 ; Drew 85, p. 16 ; Morrison 88, p. 107 ; 89, p. 147 ; Lowe 

 94, p. 268 ; Bendire 92, p. 372 ; Cooke 97, p. 90 ; Henderson 03, 

 p. 107 ; 09, p. 233 ; Rockwell 07, p. 81 ; Oilman 07, p. 155 ; Warren 

 08, p. 22 ; 09, p. 15 ; Rockwell 08, p. 168 ; Gary 09, p. 182. 



Description. — Adult — General colour above azure-blue, the centre of 

 the back and scapulars ashy-grey with a slight bluish tinge ; a narrow, 

 interrupted white line above the eye and ear-coverts ; below, the chin 

 and throat ashy-white streaked with bluish, most strongly on the sides 

 and breast ; lower breast and abdomen ashy -grey, becoming tinged 

 with blue on the under tail-coverts ; iris brown, bill, legs and feet 

 black. Length 10-25 ; wing 5-10 ; tail 5-40 ; culmenlO; tarsus 1-4. 



The female is like the male, but rather smaller — wing 5 -0 ; the 

 young bird has the crown ashy-grey and very little blue on the 

 under-side. 



Distribution. — Western United States from south-eastern Oregon 

 and southern Idaho south to Arizona, southern New Mexico and 

 north-west Texas, chiefly in the transition zone. 



The Woodhouse Jay is a common resident throughout the western 

 half of Colorado at moderate elevations, being seldom found above 

 8,000 feet. It is common along the foothills in El Paso co., and has 

 been recorded from nearly all the eastern foothill counties — from 

 Boulder, where, however, it is quite rare, to Las Animas ; it is also 

 stated by Rockwell to be a common resident in Mesa co. on the west 

 side of the range, at from 6,000 to 9,000 feet. It seldoms wanders 

 east of the foothills, though stated by Cooke to have been observed 

 by Captain Thorne at Fort Lyon in the Arkansas River valley in winter, 

 and Aiken has reported it near Rocky Ford in September ; Cary 

 has recently observed troops of this species in the dense growth of 

 cedars in north-west Baca co. in late November, and believes that 

 they winter there. 



Habits. — ^The Woodhouse Jay is found in brushwood 

 and scrub, clothing the sides of rocky valleys and canons, 

 and seldom, if ever, in the thick forest. It is somewhat 

 terrestrial in habits, keeping on or near the ground, 

 searching for fruits and the seeds of pinons and oaks 

 on which it principally subsists. It is most commonly 

 seen in winter, when it frequents cultivated lands and 

 the neighbourhood of houses and ranches, and when 

 its harsh, grating cry is often heard ; in summer it is 

 much more silent and retiring. Rockwell considers that 



