---
title: "Blue Jay"
description: "Cyanocitta cristata — Birds. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/blue-jay
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Blue Jay

> Cyanocitta cristata — Birds. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America.

- Scientific name: *Cyanocitta cristata*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `urban` (Towns & gardens)
- iNaturalist observations: 205490
- Wikidata: [Q199758](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q199758)
- iNaturalist taxon: [8229](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/8229)

## Names

- en: Blue Jay
- de: Blauhäher
- es: Chara azul
- fr: Geai bleu
- nl: Blauwe gaai
- pt: Gaio-azul
- pl: Modrosójka błękitna

## Summary

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also in Newfoundland, Canada; breeding populations are found across southern Canada. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common in residential areas. Its coloration is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest; it has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Males and females are similar in…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_jay

## Photo

![Blue Jay](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/blue-jay/medium.jpg)

Photo: Liz F · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/288561647

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/blue-jay?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).