look at me!

by Amy Gross

jays are nature’s colorful showoffs

EVEN THOSE WHO don’t normally birdwatch can’t help but notice a jay when one passes through their yard. Being big birds—about a foot long tip to tail—and in New Mexico, blue or blue-gray, jays are talkative, busy and flashy, easy to spot, and so much fun to watch.

The Woodhouse’s scrub jay graces us with its presence year-round. A rich royal blue with a dark gray patch on top and light gray underneath, the Woodhouse’s is hard to miss, especially when he announces his presence at the top of a tree with a loud cack-cack-cack!, then spreads those huge blue wings and dives to another vantage point. If you can’t quite tell if the bird you’re looking at is a Woodhouse’s scrub jay, watch for the telltale bobbing of its body as it perches and surveys its surroundings; that funny twitch is a dead giveaway.

Birders in New Mexico always hope to see pinyon jays in the colder months, and this year, we are! Unlike the solitary Woodhouse’s scrub jay, pinyons flock in large, noisy groups in search of pine nuts, which grow in pinyon pine trees. They’ll also come to feeders if the food is easy to reach; I counted 32 mobbing a feeder in my yard this week. The noise as they foraged was deafening. To this East Coast transplant, pinyon jays sound like seagulls, and this crew was cackling with delight. Depending on the light, pinyons might appear gray, gray-blue or blue, which makes them a bit difficult to immediately identify. So, look for this behavior for confirmation: a fast-moving flock of birds flying overhead, well spread out, with lots of purposeful flapping and a distinctive, high-pitched cah-ca-caaaaa call that sounds like a sea bird.

My favorite winter bird is the stunning Steller’s jay, a dark blue jay with a tall black crest. The black reaches to the neck, making the Steller’s look like he’s wearing a hood—and maybe thinking about robbing a bank. This bird’s sound is like a scold, with a harsh, shockingly loud wack-wack-wackwack that will make you sit up and take notice.

I think of jays like this: striking, comical showoffs who love being gazed upon and admired. They’re so gorgeous and entertaining—who are we to deny them their due?

P.S. Don’t let the cold and snow fool you: Winter is one of the best times of year to see birds!

Amy Gross is a birder and the organizer of Santa Fe Birdbrains, a Northern New Mexico–based Meetup group.