Family: Corvidae, Crows, Magpies, Jays view all from this family

Description 11 1/2 -13" (29-33 cm). Similar to scrub-jays but larger and more muted, without white markings on throat or above eyes. Dull blue head, rump, wings, and tail; gray back and dusky ear patch. Formerly known as the Gray-breasted Jay.

Habitat Oak forests and wooded canyons.

Nesting 4 or 5 green eggs in a twig bowl lined with horsehair and placed low in a tree.

Range Resident from southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas southward.

Voice A loud shrink? or wenk? often repeated.

Discussion Nesting territories of Mexican Jays are small and adjacent; when a predator approaches, an entire colony moves to the defense, scolding loudly from a safe distance. Acorns are their staple diet, but they also glean insects and rob eggs and young from nests.