The Migration of North American Birds 



SECOND SERIES 



X. BLUE JAY, STELLER'S JAY, AND GREEN JAY 



Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey 



BLUE JAY 



The common and well-known Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) of eastern 

 North America is, as a species, permanently resident, except along the northern- 

 most border of its range. It comprises two subspecies, the ranges of which 

 are as follows: 



The Northern Blue Jay {Cyanocitta cristata cristata) breeds in eastern 

 North America, north to Newfoundland, central Quebec, northern Ontario, 

 and northern Alberta; west to central Alberta, eastern North Dakota, central 

 Nebraska and eastern Colorado; south to central Texas, Missouri, central 

 Illinois, and North Carolina; and east to eastern Virginia, the coast of New 

 England and of Nova Scotia. It is of casual occurrence in northern New Mexico 

 (Fruitland, Oct. 17, 1908). 



The Florida Blue Jay {Cyanocitta cristata florincola) is resident in the 

 southeastern United States, north to South Carolina, Alabama, southern Illi- 

 nois and northeastern Texas; west to eastern Texas; south to the Gulf coast 

 of Louisiana and Alabama, and to southern Florida; and east to eastern Florida 

 and eastern South Carolina. 



The few migration records in the following table all refer to the Nopthern 

 Blue Jay: 



SPRING MIGRATION 



LOCALITY 



Number 



of years' 



record 



Average date of 

 spring arrival 



Earliest date of 

 spring arrival 



Montreal, Quebec 



Ottawa, Ontario 



3 



5 



May I 

 February 9 



March 22, 1890 



(rare in winter) 

 January 5, 1909 

 May 15, 1901 

 June 20, 1909 



Mouth of Little Red River, Alberta. . 

 Mingan, Quebec 





FALL MIGRATION 



LOCALITY 



Number 



of years' 



record 



Average date of 

 last one observed 



Latest date of 

 last one observed 



Montreal, Quebec 



3 



November 2 



November 25, 1856 

 December i, 1885 



Ottawa, Ontario 





STELLER'S JAY 



The range of the S teller's Jay {Cyanocitta stelleri) extends from Alaska through 

 western North America to the highlands of Honduras. This bird is practically 

 everywhere resident, such movements as occur being in the nature of wander- 



(170) 



