Arizona Mexican Jay

Most New Englanders recognize the familiar blue and white blue Jay, and some think that's the only Jay there is. In fact, there are many Jays, all of which are members of the Corvid family.  The handsome bird pictured above is a Mexican Jay that we saw in Madera Canyon, Arizona.

If you look carefully, you can see some similarities between the Mexican Jay and the Blue Jay. Both are primarily blue-and-white, for instance. If you ever saw a Mexican Jay in real life, however, the similarities would overwhelm you.

The two species of Jay behave very much the same. Both are intelligent, aggressive, and very loud!  Even a New Englander like myself instantly recognized Jay behavior!

Mexican Jays, like the Blue Jays I'm more familiar with, are very large birds that are hard to miss.  Both species will sound an alarm if there's a predator near, although in this case the Jays didn't appear to think we were predators.

These stunningly beautiful blue birds are just one more reason to make a trip to Madera Canyon in Arizona. Not only are there birds galore, but it might just be one of the most beautiful places on earth.