Green Jay Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A sturdy jay without a crest. It has a thick, straight bill, a long, rounded tail, and fairly long legs. In flight the wings are broad and rounded.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Northern Mockingbird, smaller than a Northern Flicker; similar in size to a Blue Jay.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 11.4 in (29 cm)
    • Weight: 2.3-3.9 oz (66-110 g)

  © Volker Hesse / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Rich green above and pale yellow-green below, with a blue crown, black throat and eyepatch, and yellow outer tail feathers.

• Behavior

  Forages together in family flocks that rove woodlands and thickets, searching all levels of the vegetation for insects, fruit, and small vertebrates, maintaining contact with noisy calls. Highly social and territorial year-round, driving away rival Green Jays and mobbing predators such as owls or snakes.
• Habitat

  Woodlands, thickets, and parks, especially sites with native trees, but also citrus orchards and parks.