Brewer's Blackbird or Western Scrub-Jay? San Diego, CA (1 Viewer)

[Aberrant]

I know it seems weird that these two could be confused, but a photo posted by a member (davefoc) on another forum has puzzled me. I initially thought that it was a brewer's blackbird, but a few other experienced birders believe that it's a western scrub-jay. This was taken at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California:

These following posts contain the pro-WSJ arguments, and I recommend that you read them even if you think it's a brewer's.

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[Roy Priest]

I'd go with western scrub jay as well. To me this is nothing like a Brewer's.

 

[njlarsen]

agree on Jay

Niels

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Jay for me, also.

 

[Aberrant]

The head and overall drab colors threw me off.

 

[Amurfalcon]

pretty certain its the Jay.

 

[Kratter]

Only a few passerines have a near complete molt from juvenile to first basic plumage. Among these are blackbirds. In males, this creates a patchwork of glossy black feathers mixed with brown juvenal feathers. Right now parking lots in the US are teeming with birds such as shown here (a molting hatch-year male Brewer's Blackbird molting from juvenile to first basic plumage). Jays, on the other hand, have partial first basic molt and do not replace any flight feathers and only a few coverts. Thus their juvenal flight feathers and most coverts look like first basic plumage, that is bright blue. The bill is at an angle and thus may look odd for an Icterid. Also, it is a juvenile and may not be fully grown. Don't let one field mark rule over a host of other characters. I really don't see much here that would make me think Western Scrub-Jay.


Andy

 

[Aberrant]

Andy


I originally thought brewer's blackbird too, but many think it's a WSJ. Can those people reiterate why a WSJ matches?

 

[PONYRCR]

Hey Aberrant I was going to suggust you post this over here. LOL

I still think this is a juvie Brewer's Blackbird.

It's doesn't look anything like the juvie WSJ I had at my feeders a fw years ago.

 

[Aberrant]

Yeah, I've honestly never seen a juvenile WSJ that looks like this. But, of course, that doesn't mean that they can't so I eagerly await additional insight.

 

[njlarsen]

I admit I could be wrong, because it has been a while since I have seen either species, but I have never seen a Brewer's with such pale blue feathers. Such feathers are also not mentioned in Pyle's id guide. I also feel that the bill is too substantial for Brewer's when comparing to size of head.

Niels

 

[birdboybowley]

Doesn't look anything like a jay to me - bill's wrong for one thing, also the darker feathers in the wing. I think it also looks a bit odd as it got a 'scruffy' head which makes it appear smaller and thus the bill bugger in relation to it. Blackbird for me

 

[PONYRCR]

Here are some photos of a Western Scrub Jay juveniles that visited my feeders daily.

They don't look much like the OP's bird

 

[Aberrant]

I admit I could be wrong, because it has been a while since I have seen either species, but I have never seen a Brewer's with such pale blue feathers. Such feathers are also not mentioned in Pyle's id guide.

Don't they look more iridescent (and thus brewer's) than scrub-jay blue?

I also feel that the bill is too substantial for Brewer's when comparing to size of head.

I think the angle of the bill may be largely responsible for this, plus the relative lack of feathers on the head.

 

[njlarsen]

Don't they look more iridescent (and thus brewer's) than scrub-jay blue?

No, to me Brewer's color is like on the image in our Opus Entry and thus much darker. As I said, I might be mistaken, but I have seen a few hundred Brewer's even if it has been a while.

Niels

Edit: As far as I remember, most blue colors on birds are iridescent, so that would be the case also with the WSJ?

 

[PONYRCR]

Here is a male Brewer's Blackbird that I photo'd recently. The sun is hitting him just right and he is quite bluish looking.

 

[Aberrant]

The color on these brewer's looks more similar: here, here, and here

I realize that two of those have yellow eyes, but this one could be a female.

 

[njlarsen]

The color on these brewer's looks more similar: here, here, and here

I realize that two of those have yellow eyes, but this one could be a female.

Not female, they are supposed to look like this with no black or glossy feathers.

Your photos are closer than what I remembered (I mainly remember adult of both sexes), and if your camera turned this one paler than it really was, then maybe.

Niels

 

[Aberrant]

The iridescent plumage of brewer's really makes lighting an even more important factor than it already is. I've seen overall drab females like this one and in different lighting glossier ones like the first I linked to.

 

[Gentoo]

The bird in this link

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting...932ece6e72.jpg

posted by the original poster is a Brewer's Blackbird.