JAYS AND MAGPIES: Family Corvidae [ 42.3 ] 



THE NICASIO JAY, in habits, behavior, and appearance identical with the 

 Long-tailed Jay, extends its range into Oregon only along the coast of 

 Curry County, where there are small permanent colonies at Brookings 

 and Pistol River. Neither of us has seen it farther north than the latter 

 point, although we have maintained a careful watch for it. The only 

 Oregon specimens known to us are four from these colonies that definitely 

 match Nicasio Jays collected in the type locality in Marin County, Cali- 

 fornia an adult male and an adult female (Jewett Coll. Nos. 4451 and 

 8x84) collected at Brookings on November 4, 192.6, and March 16, 1934, 

 respectively, and two male birds from Pistol River, taken November 2.2., 

 1931 (Gabrielson Coll. No. 1912.), and March 17, 1934 (Jewett Coll. No. 

 82.85). 



Woodhouse's Jay: 



Aphelocoma californica woodhousei (Baird) 



DESCRIPTION. "Upper parts dull blue except for slate gray back and scapulars; under 

 parts gray except for blue tail and under tail coverts, and throat, which is whitish 

 streaked with dark gray. Young: back darker than in young of californica; under parts 

 dark gray instead of white. Length: ii.5o-ix.75, wing 4.70-5.35, tail 5.^0-6.2.0, bill 

 .93-1.06." (Bailey) Nest: A platform of sticks lined with fine roots. Eggs: 3 to 6, 

 pale green, sparingly marked with irregular brown and lavender markings. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Possibly breeds from southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, 

 and southern Wyoming south to southeastern California, southern Arizona, New 

 Mexico, and Texas. In Oregon: Rare. Known only from extreme southeastern part 

 of State. (See Figure 13.) 



BENDIRE (1895 a) stated: "I observed this species on the southern slopes 

 of the Steens Mountains, in southeastern Oregon in August 1877, which 

 locality marks about the northwestern limit of its range." No other 

 record of the presence of Woodhouse's Jay in the State was made until 

 August 8, 19x1, when two birds were collected from a small flock present 

 in the brush along the banks of Wild Horse Creek near Andrews on the 

 southeastern slope of the Steens Mountains where the authors were 

 camped. One of these birds recorded by Jewett (i92.6a) is now in the 

 Biological Survey collection and the other is in Gabrielson's collection 

 (No. 531). We have made a number of trips into this general territory 

 without again meeting with the species and believe it may be an irregular 

 visitor that wanders into this area after the breeding season, although 

 it may possibly breed there or on the headwaters of the Owyhee River 

 in southern Malheur County. 



American Magpie: 



Pica pica hudsonia (Sabine) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Black, varied with bronzy iridescence, except for white 

 belly and wing patches; tail long and graduated; bill and naked skin of orbital 



