Blue Jay
high confidenceCyanocitta cristata
A crested, blue-backed songbird perched on a hanging tray feeder. Visible field marks include the prominent blue crest, black facial/neck collar bordering a pale grayish-white face and underparts, and barred blue wings with white wing bars, plus a long blue tail with black barring and white corners ā all classic Blue Jay features. Setting (backyard wooden fence and seed feeder in eastern North America) also fits.
Other possibilities:
- Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) ā Also a crested blue jay, but it has a dark blackish head and lacks white underparts and white wing/tail markings; only plausible if plumage detail were misread.
- Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) ā Blue and gray coloration, but lacks a crest and the black necklace and barred wings seen here.
2026-09-15