NORTHERN BLUE JAY 51 



the wintry scenery — bright, clear sky, and the blue shadows on the 

 snow. After his burst of noise in the autumn, he becomes comparatively 

 quiet, and during the colder months uses mainly his jeer call, and this 

 not overmuch. But on soft mornings in January and February, when 

 the temperature is rising, we may hear his sweetly whistled teekle note. 

 Tea-cup, tea-cup, he sings — a sure sign of a mild day. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The United States and southern Canada, chiefly east of the 

 Great Plains; partially migratory. 



The range of the blue jay extends north to central Alberta (Stony 

 Plain, Lac la Biche, probably Poplar Point, and Battle River) ; southern 

 Saskatchewan (probably Princ.e Albert, Regina, and McLean) ; southern 

 Manitoba (Fort Ellice, probably Chemawawin, Gypsumville, and West 

 Selkirk) ; Ontario (Indian Bay, Lac Seul, and Cobalt) ; New Bruns- 

 wick (Restigouch Valley and Bathurst) ; and southeastern Quebec 

 (Magdalen Islands). The eastern limit of the range extends southward 

 along the Atlantic coast from southeastern Quebec (Magdalen Islands) 

 to southern Florida (Miami). South to southern Florida (Miami and 

 Fort Myers) and west along the Gulf coast to southern Texas (Houston 

 and Atascosa County). West to central Texas (Atascosa County, 

 Waco, and Decatur) ; Oklahoma (Norman) ; eastern Colorado (Lamar 

 and Wray) ; eastern Wyoming (Torrington) ; western North Dakota 

 (Killdeer Mountains and Charlson) ; and Alberta (Red Deer and Stony 

 Plain). 



While the blue jay is generally resident, it partly withdraws during 

 some winters from the extreme northern parts of the summer range. 

 It has been recorded in winter north to southern Alberta (Red Deer) ; 

 southern Manitoba (Lake San Martin) ; northern Michigan (McMil- 

 lan) ; southern Ontario (Plover Mills, Toronto, and Ottawa) ; southern 

 Quebec (Montreal and Bary) ; and Maine (Foxcroft and Machias). 



The range as outlined is for the entire species and is occ.upied largely 

 by the northern blue jay (C. c. bromia). The southern blue jay (C. c. 

 cristata) is found in the Southeastern United States (except the south- 

 ern half of the Florida Peninsula) north to North Carolina and west to 

 Louisiana, while the lower part of Florida is occupied by Semple's 

 blue jay (C. c. semplei) C. c. cyanotephra is found from eastern 

 Colorado and Nebraska to northern Oklahoma and the panhandle of 

 Texas. 



Migration. — Because of the fact that as a species the blue jay is found 

 in winter throughout most of its breeding range, dates of arrival and 

 departure of migrating individuals are difficult to obtain. A migratory 



