Birds That Look Like Blue Jay: Spotting The Differences Among 23 Species

Are you just getting started on your Blue Jay-watching experience and want to become an accurate bird-watcher?

Then, you should check out all the birds that might get mistaken for Blue Jays but aren’t. Even in the same Jay species, some birds appear similar but possess different distinctive behaviors and habitats.

Learning about them will help you appreciate the mesmerizing diversity of species around us. All the information is just plain fascinating and makes you feel like you’re adding crucial pieces to a natural puzzle.

It keeps things exciting and helps enhance your observational skills. It feels like exploring new chapters in the book of life as it takes you on an adventure full of diversities.

So, assemble all the Blue Jay enthusiasts and buckle up to familiarize yourselves with more bird species that resemble this one.

23 Stunning Birds That Resembles Blue Jay: Spotting The Differences

While learning about the Blue-Jay look-alikes might not be a life-saving lesson, it definitely adds a certain depth and enjoyment to your bird-watching adventure.

So, let’s get started on this journey!

10 Striking Jay Species Similar To Blue Jay

There are about 35 to 40 Jay species all over the world. Belonging to similar species, these birds are bound to have some common characteristics.

In this part of the article, we will introduce you to 10 blue-colored Jay species that are likely to get mistaken as Blue Jay for possessing a similar appearance.

Steller’s Jay

Source: @jc_wings

• Scientific Name: Cyanocitta stelleri
• Size: 30 to 34 cm (12 to 13 in)
• Locality:  Western North America and the Mountains of Central America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Early April to Early July

Steller’s Jay, an inquisitive species, is known for being the only crested Jay species inhabiting the west of the Rocky Mountains.

Steller’s Jay and Blue Jays are medium-sized North American species known for their dazzling blue plumage. Both species possess a crest that they can control depending on their moods. Moreover, they can use their prominent crests and loud calls to communicate.

California Scrub Jay

Source: @jay_k_zed

• Scientific Name: Aphelocoma californica
• Size: 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in)
• Locality: Western North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March or Early April

The bird watchers adore the California Scrub Jay for its attraction and thievery of shiny objects and accurate memory.

Predominantly, the Blue Jay and the California Scrub Jay have a vibrant blue-colored plumage on their upper part and light blue or white on their underpart. Their size range is almost similar. Both have conspicuous crests on their head and the ability to produce different types of calls for communication. Moreover, they exhibit compelling territorial behavior and a preference for an omnivorous diet.

Florida Scrub Jay

Source: @divingdiapsid

• Scientific Name: Aphelocoma coerulescens
• Size: 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status: Vulnerable
• Breeding Season: March to June

A cool tidbit about the Florida Scrub Jay is that the families separate the responsibility of chores among the members. While one group watches out for predators, the other goes foraging.

Being almost similar in size, both Blue Jays and Florida Scrub Jays have a large portion of their body colored in blue. However, the shades and placements of the color might be different. Moreover, they have relatively long tails. Both species are omnivorous and live in a group or small flocks.

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

Source: @investigating.nature

• Scientific Name: Aphelocoma woodhouseii 
• Size: 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to July

One of the fascinating facts about Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay is its mischievous nature. Sometimes, it steals food supplies from other birds.

The Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay and the Blue Jay have similar body and tail sizes. Both species have a blue color on their upper parts and light gray or white on their underparts, which makes it hard for anyone to differentiate between them.

Black-throated Magpie-Jay

Source: @juanjomartinez07

• Scientific Name: Calocitta colliei
• Size: 58.5 to 76.5 cm (23.0 to 30.1 in)
• Locality:  Northwestern Mexico
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Different according to regions

The Black-throated Magpie-Jay is acclaimed among bird enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts for its striking tail.

Even with a predominantly blue color on the body, the shading is different for the Black-throated Magpie-Jay and the Blue Jay. However, both of them are omnivorous and have complex vocalizations.

Pinyon Jay

Source: @greatbasinbirdobservatory

• Scientific Name: Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Size: 26 to 29 cm (10.2 to 11.4 in)
• Locality: Western North America
• Status: Vulnerable
• Breeding Season: January and February

Unlike most members of the Corvidae family, the Pinyon Jay does not have any sign of feathers near its nostril.

The Pinyon Jay and the Blue Jay are social birds with vivid blue plumage. Their heads, upperparts, and wings have a visible dominance of blue. Both are similar in size with similar preferences in diet.

Mexican Jay

Source: @francornerophotography

• Scientific Name: Aphelocoma wollweberi
• Size: 11 to 13 in (28 to 33 cm)
• Locality: Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico and parts of the Southwestern United States
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Different according to habitat

The Mexican Jays act as a savior for the Northern Flickers. Their calls help alarm the Flickers of impending threats.

The upperparts and underparts of the Mexican Jay and the Blue Jays have almost identical shaded rich blue and white colors. Their bills are robust and dark black.

Azure Jay

Source: @animalpic_post

• Scientific Name: Cyanocorax caeruleus
• Size: 40 cm (16 in)
• Locality: Atlantic Forest, South-eastern Brazil, Paraguay and North-eastern Argentina
• Status: Near Threatened
• Breeding Season: October to January

The Azure Jay is celebrated in the ornithology world for possessing the ability to produce at least 14 types of unique vocalizations.

The fundamental resemblance between the Azure Jay and the Blue Jay is in their body color. They both have dominance of blue color in their plumage.

Turquoise Jay

Source: @birdsbybijs

• Scientific Name: Cyanolyca turcosa
• Size: 32 cm (12.6 in)
• Locality: South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to July

Predominantly a non-migratory species, the Turquoise Jay prefers a humid environment and, when necessary, will travel with mixed flocks.

The main parallelism of appearance between the Turquoise Jay and the Blue Jay is in their striking plumage color. Both birds exhibit vibrant shades of blue on their body and have similar sizes.

Violaceous Jay

Source: @zachvaughanphotography

• Scientific Name: Cyanocorax violaceus
• Size: 33 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in)
• Locality:  Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Late Winter to Early Summer

The Violaceous Jay’s life history is still unknown in the avian world. It prefers lowlands and occasionally travels to high elevations.

The hues and patterns are different, but the Blue Jay and the Violaceous Jay have striking blue shades on their plumage.

Similarities: Jay Species and Blue Jay 

We will discuss how the Blue Jay and the specified blue-colored Jay species might appear similar in this similarities section.

• Apart from the Black-throated Magpie-Jay, all the listed blue-colored Jay species have a similar size range.
• All of them share a conical, slightly stout, and curved bill that helps them forage.
• Some colors and patterns might vary. However, all the listed species have striking colored plumage that varies in the shades of blue, black, and white.
• They all possess similarly shaded eye colors.
• They typically have long tails that help them in their flight.
• Usually, most of the species don’t exhibit sexual dimorphism.

How To Spot The Difference 

Despite being so similar, the blue-colored Jay species and Blue Jays possess significant dissimilarities that should be looked at closely to spot the differences. Hence, we have gathered them up to help you.

• Even though they share a similar blue color, the shades are quite different.
• Their bill might seem similar in shape, but they have different colors.
• The size and shape of the crest may change.
• They have different habitats and occupy other regions, which influence their behavior.
• Some of the species even have their subspecies that exhibit different variations in their appearance.

2 Other Phenomenal Bunting Species Similar To Blue Jay

In this segment, we have listed 2 Bunting species that seem similar to Blue Jay.

Let’s go through this shortlist.

Indigo Bunting

Source: @zachvaughanphotography

• Scientific Name: Passerina cyanea
• Size: 11.5 to 13 cm (4.5 to 5.1 in)
• Locality: Southern Canada to Maine, South to Northern Florida and Eastern Texas, and Westward to Southern Nevada
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Between May and September

The Indigo Bunting, a cheerful species, can produce a wide array of melodious songs that vary according to the neighborhoods they inhabit.

In case of similarities between the Indigo Bunting and the Blue Jay, both have a blue color in their plumage. So, at first glance, they might appear similar because of their plumage colors. In the case of wings and tails, both species have the presence of black markings.

Lazuli Bunting

Source: @photography_by_liad

• Scientific Name: Passerina amoena
• Size: 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status:  Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Different according to habitat

One of the most interesting facts about the Lazuli Bunting is that it can recognize similar species in their territories by their songs.

This species and the Blue Jay have bright, vibrant blue colors on their heads, wings, and tails. Both species have white color in their underparts.

Similarities: Bunting and Blue Jay 

There are a lot of parallels between Bunting and the Blue Jay as a species. Consequently, we will only talk about a few of them.

• The most obvious similarity is the presence of blue color.
• Each of them has distinctive white markings on their body parts.
• All three species appear slender with relatively stout bills.

How To Spot The Difference  

Now, we’ll assist you in identifying their contrasting features so you can tell them apart.

• The size and shape is different. The Blue Jay is more prominent in size than the other two.
• The placement of the white markings on their body is different.
• Their bills are different in size and shape.

6 Other Magnificent Birds That Look Like Blue Jay

In addition to the Jay and Bunting species,  several other striking-colored birds look similar to Blue Jays.

Scroll through and get acquainted with our feathered friends.

Mountain Bluebird

Source: @geninne

• Scientific Name: Sialia currucoides
• Size: 15.5 to 18 cm (6.1 to 7.1 in)
• Locality: Western North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Mid-April to Early August

The Mountain Bluebird, a small, migratory species, has been designated the place of the state bird in Idaho and Nevada.

In case of similarities, both Mountain Bluebird and Blue Jay’s significant portion of their body parts are blue-colored. The shades, however, might be different. The underparts of both species have lighter blue or white color.

How To Spot The Difference  

The Mountain Bluebird and the Blue Jay share a few dissimilarities as a species. So, we’ll talk about them in this section.

• Unlike Blue Jays, Mountain Bluebirds lack the bold black “mask” on their face.
• Blue Jays are larger in size than Mountain Bluebirds.
• The Mountain Bluebirds do not have a crest on their head. It is round and smooth.
• Typically, Mountain Bluebirds don’t possess distinctive facial markings, unlike the Blue Jays, with their striking black-steaked “eyebrows.”

Blue Grosbeak

Source: @abmdjoe

• Scientific Name: Passerina caerulea
• Size: 14 to 19 cm (5.5 to 7.5 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Early April to Late August.

One of the most fun tidbits about the Blue Grosbeak is that it is the closest relative of the Lazuli Bunting.

The Blue Grosbeaks resemble the Blue Jays for possessing a striking blue as part of their plumage color. Both species are medium-sized and possess strong bills.

How To Spot The Difference   

We’ll now discuss how to recognize the differences between the Blue Grosbeak and the Blue Jay so you can tell them apart.

• Blue Grosbeaks are smaller than Blue Jays with a more compact body.
• Unlike the Blue Jays, the Blue Grosbeaks don’t have a crest.
• Blue Grosbeaks don’t have any prominent facial markings on their face.
• The wings of a Blue Grosbeak do not possess any white patterns but have slight brown shades.

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Source: @goo_kawa

• Scientific Name: Urocissa flavirostris
• Size: 46 cm (18 in)
• Locality: Northern Part of the Indian Subcontinent
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: April to July

The Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, also known as the Gold-billed Magpie, is a passerine species appreciated for its beautiful tail.

According to the resemblance in appearance, the Blue Jay and the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie have blue plumage all over their body. Moreover, their bills are well-suited for their diet as they are stout and slightly pointy.

How To Spot The Difference  

Let’s now introduce you to the distinctions.

• The Yellow-billed Blue Magpie stays true to its name and possesses a vibrant colored yellow bill.
• In contrast to the Blue Jay, Yellow-billed Blue Magpies have blue and black patterns on their tails.
• The size range of a Blue Jay is smaller than a Yellow-billed Blue Magpie.

Madagascar Blue Vanga

Source: @tropicalbirding

• Scientific Name: Cyanolanius madagascarinus
• Size: 16 to 19 cm (6.3 to 7.5 in)
• Locality: Madagascar
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: October or November

Belonging to the Vangidae family, the Madagascar Blue Vanga is an exceptional example of adaptive radiation.

The striking similarity between the Blue Jay and the Madagascar Blue Vanga is the breathtaking blue plumage on their head, wings, and tails. Both species have stout and pointy bills with a degree of deep black facial markings.

How To Spot The Difference   

Let’s examine the distinguishing characteristics that set the Madagascar Blue Vanga and the Blue Jay apart from one another.

• The Madagascar Blue Vanga has a blue bill and distinctive blue eye color.
• Unlike Madagascar Blue Vanga, the Blue Jays have longer tails with rounded ends. The end of the Madagascar Blue Vanga is squared off.
• The Madagascar Blue Vanga is relatively smaller.

Blue-gray Tanager

Source: @chonivet99

• Scientific Name: Thraupis episcopus
• Size: 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in)
• Locality: South America
• Status:  Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to July

The Blue-gray Tanager, a mid-sized passerine species, is celebrated among bird enthusiasts for their ability to produce harmonious tunes.

With respect to parallels, both the Blue Jay and the Blue-gray Tanager cover a large portion of their body in vibrant blue plumage and underparts in white. Both species have unique facial markings around their eyes. The bills of both these species are robust and sharp.

How To Spot The Difference   

In this section, we will get to know how to spot the specified species’ differences.

• The Blue-gray Tanager has hints of gray on their body.
• The Blue Jay is larger and more robust than a Blue-gray Tanager.

Cerulean Warbler

Source: @mathman329

• Scientific Name: Setophaga cerulea
• Size: 11 cm (4.3 in)
• Locality:  Eastern North America
• Status: Near Threatened
• Breeding Season: From Mid-May to Early June and Ending in July.

One of the most exciting revelations about the Cerulean Warbler is that the female sometimes uses spider webs while renesting.

About shared traits, both the Blue Jay and the Cerulean Warbler have exceptionally vivid blue colors. The blue is more vivid in the males of the Cerulean Warbler.

How To Spot The Difference  

This segment is for spotting the differences between the Cerulean Warbler and the Blue Jay. Let’s get to know them.

• The Blue Jays are larger than the Cerulean Warbler.
• The males have a black necklace-like pattern visible across their crest.
• The Cerulean Warblers have small, pointed bills, whereas the Blue Jays have more robust and relatively longer bills.
• Blue Jays have a more prominent tail than Cerulean Warblers.

5 Stunning Birds That Look Like Blue Jay But Aren’t Blue

Just because a bird has blue plumage on its body does not automatically make it similar to a Blue Jay. Similarly, some adorable bird species are not exclusively blue but seem akin to that of a Blue Jay.

Let’s get to know these feathered acquaintances.

Blue-capped Motmot

Source: @bronxzoo

• Scientific Name: Momotus coeruliceps
• Size: 38 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in)
• Locality: Eastern Mexico
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: August to October

Blue-capped Motmot, also known as Blue-crowned Motmot, is a colorful near-passerine species popular among bird enthusiasts for its striking blue-colored central crown.

The Blue Jay and the Blue-capped Motmot have a bright, vivid blue color on their upper part. They both have stout, dark-colored bills. They both appear almost similar in size from a distance.

How To Spot The Difference  

Let’s look at the distinctive features that make the Blue-capped Motmot and the Blue Jay different from each other.

• Blue-capped Motmots have a bluish-green body, unlike a full-blue body similar to Blue Jays.
• Blue-capped Motmots are relatively larger than Blue Jays.
• Unlike Blue Jays, the Blue-capped Motmots have a unique racquet-tipped tail.
• The Blue-capped Motmots have a rather plain face.

Green Jay

Source: @anagabrielahy

• Scientific Name: Cyanocorax luxuosus
• Size: 27 cm (11 in)
• Locality: Central America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to August.

The Green Jay is known for its mesmerizing appearance and possessing different shades across its range.

The extent of the blue color might differ, but both the Blue Jay and the Green Jay have blue in their body. The visual difference between them is in their coloring. Apart from belonging to the same “Jay” species, the similarity is also in their size range and shape.

How To Spot The Difference   

Let’s spot the differences between a Green Jay and a Blue Jay according to their appearance.

• The most obvious difference between Green Jays and Blue jays is their color.
• Green Jays have green and teal patches all over their tail, and their bill is curved at the end.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Source: @audubonsociety

• Scientific Name: Sitta carolinensis
• Size: 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Between Early May and Early June.

The White-breasted Nuthatch, a medium-sized species, is popular for being noisy and producing a wide range of calls.

The primary similarity between the Blue Jay and the White-breasted Nuthatch is their size, which looks somewhat similar. The extent and location of the white color in the species’ bodies might be different, but they both have white underparts. As most female bird species have a subdued color in their plumage, a novice bird watcher might mistake this species for the female version of the Blue Jay.

How To Spot The Difference  

We will discuss the dissimilarities in this section so that you can identify between the White-Breasted Nuthatch and the Blue Jay.

• The White-Breasted Nuthatch is smaller than the Blue Jay.
• Unlike the Blue Jay, the White-Breasted Nuthatch has a black cap with a distinctive white face.
• The Blue Jays have a longer tail than the White-Breasted Nuthatch.
• The bill of the White-Breasted Nuthatch is short and pointy, whereas the Blue Jay’s bill is robust.

Canada Jay

Source: @wild.wes.james

• Scientific Name: Perisoreus canadensis
• Size: 25 to 33 cm (9.8 to 13.0 in)
• Locality: North America, New Mexico and Arizona
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: February and March

The Canada Jay, also known as the camp robber, is acclaimed for being a “scatter holder” as it loves caching food supplies.

The Canada Jay and the Blue Jay have more dissimilarities than similarities in appearance. They have a similar size range and white underpart with conical bills. Apart from this, the only other similarity they have is the black marking on their wings.

How To Spot The Difference  

The Canada Jay and the Blue Jay have some differences that should be mentioned to spot their differences.

• The Canada Jay does not have a distinctive crest but rather has a subtle appearance.
• Unlike the Blue Jays, the Canada Jays have short and squared-off tails.
• The bill of the Canada Jay is short, stout, and dark, whereas the Blue Jay has a more robust and longer bill.

Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Source: @beasts_birds_bugs

• Scientific Name: Setophaga caerulescens
• Size: 13 cm (5.1 in)
• Locality: Eastern North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Late May through July or August

Being a small passerine species, the Black-throated Blue Warbler is popular for its unique sexual dimorphism.

The shades might be different, but both the Blue Jay and the Black-throated Blue Warbler (male) have blue-colored plumage. Both species possess dark-colored eyes. Moreover, the bills of both species are pointed and robust.

How To Spot The Difference  

Let’s discuss the contrasting features between the Black-throated Blue Warbler and the Blue Jay.

• The Black-throated Blue Warbler has a contrasting plumage color and is smaller than the Blue Jay.
• On the wings, the Black-throated Blue Warbler has handkerchief-shaped markings.
• The tail of the Blue Jay is longer and more prominent than the Black-throated Blue Warbler.

FAQ

This section is for the Blue Jay devotees who are still inquiring about birds that seem at least somewhat similar to the species. Let’s get you through the answers to frequently asked questions to help you in your endeavor.

Q: What bird looks like a blue jay without a crest?

Ans: Among all the birds that look similar to a Blue Jay, the Pinyon Jay is the one that resembles it the most, apart from its crest. With its large size and relatively short tail, its shape seems similar to that of a crow.

Q: What kind of bird looks like a blue jay but black?

Ans: The Steller’s Jay is the type of Jay species that resembles a Blue Jay but possesses shades of black in its plumage.

Thoughts

Now that you have reached the end of the article, you have been granted a bird-watching superpower that will help you distinguish and accurately identify who’s who in the avian world.

Some of the Blue Jay look-alikes are similar in their appearance as well as in their habitat. Hence, anyone can get easily confused.

But now you are like an expert detective who has a basic idea about the doppelgangers’ similarities and dissimilarities in their appearance. You can easily understand and peer into the lives of the feathered neighbors while successfully differentiating and understanding them better.

Moreover, it will help create conservation awareness for each species. You can now be a protector of these species and their habitat by learning about their differences.

Enrich your bird-watching journey today and get acquainted with birds resembling Blue Jay!