273 
CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 
it gleans from abandoned camps, and in Arizona, though resident 
up to 10,000 feet, is often seen on the high rail fences built to keep 
range cattle within bounds. 
Chack-ah, chack-ah, chack-ah, chock, the jay squalls, jerking hfs 
tail and dashing about, soaring down with short wings wide-spread, 
lighting on the side of a tree to inspect the cracks in the bark, or 
dropping to the ground to hunt for fallen mast. 
In flight the crest is sometimes lowered almost to the horizontal, 
but, as a small Arizona observer noted, “when they holler they 
stick that right straight up.” This ‘ hollering’ includes a squeal 
which is so close to that of the red-tailed hawk as to be a good test 
to the ear of the observer. 
478a. C. S- frontalis ( Ridgw .). Blue-fronted Jay . 1 
Adults. — Fore parts of body brownish slate, with blue tinge to crest and 
blue streaks on forehead; wings and tail dark blue, barred ; rump and 
under parts dull turquoise. Length: 11.75-13.00, wing 5.50-6.10, tail 5.10- 
5.75, exposed culmen 1.00-1.20. 
Distribution. — Southern coast ranges and Sierra Nevada of California 
and western Nevada, from Fort Crook south to northern Lower California. 
Nest. — Like that of stelleri usually in firs, cedars, and pines, but some¬ 
times in snowsheds and natural cavities in trees and stubs, from 4 to 50 
feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 to 5, like those of stelleri. 
Food. — Acorns, pine seeds, and a variety of animal and vegetable mat¬ 
ter. 
478b. C. s. diademata ( Bonap .). Long-crested Jay. 
Like C. s. annectens , but white spot over eye always conspicuous and 
streaking on forehead whitish; black of head in sharp contrast to gray of 
back; chest bluish ; blue of belly and rump dull turquoise as in frontalis. 
Length: 11.75-13.75, wing 5.65-6.40, tail 5.25-6.25, exposed culmen 1.03- 
1.14. 
Distribution. — Resident in Transition and Canadian zones in the south¬ 
ern Rocky Mountains from southern Wyoming south to Zacatecas, Mex¬ 
ico, west to Uintah Mountains, Utah, and high mountains of Arizona. 
Nest. — Similar to that of stelleri , usually in small bushy pines or other 
conifers S to 15 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 to 6, similar to those of 
stelleri. 
Food. — Partly grasshoppers and pine seeds. 
478c. C. s. annectens (Baird). Black-headed Jay. 
Head black, back slaty, blue of under parts dark as in stelleri; streaks 
on forehead bluish white, sometimes indistinct; small white spot over eye. 
Remarks. — The black-headed has the general body colors of the Steller 
jay, with the eye spot and streaks approaching those of the long-crested. 
Length: 12-50-13.75, wing 5.90-6.60, tail 5.80-6.65, exposed culmen .97- 
1.08. 
1 Cyanocitta stelleri carbonacea Grinnell. 
Like frontalis, but darker, frontal blue spots restricted; head darker than back, back 
warm slate gray. 
Distribution. —Coast of California, Monterey County, north to Oregon; Oregon west 
to Cascades, including east slope of Cascades. ( The Condor , ii. 127 ; iv. 41.) 
