This bird was seen in Colorado 12/16/2021. Pretty sure it's not a Scrub Blue-jay as the coloring and shape seem off. Thank you. (1 Viewer)

[mikeshaw1]

 

[mikeshaw1]

I'm now considering a Pinyon Jay?

 

[Microtus]

I'm seeing white on the throat and a long tail, both of which rule out Pinyon Jay and rule in Woodhouse's Scrub Jay.

Pinyon Jay Similar Species to, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Similar looking birds to Pinyon Jay: Mexican Jay Adult, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Adult (Woodhouse's), California Scrub-Jay Adult

www.allaboutbirds.org

 

[KC Foggin]

Looks perfect for a Pinyon Jay for me.

 

[mikeshaw1]

I've now seen pic's of Pinyons which are dead on to the posted ones. But, the tail does appear too long. I have seen Scrubs and they don't match favorably to the above images.

 

[Butty]

Could you give a more-precise location?
Woodhouse's/(interior) western scrub-jay: (relatively) stubby bill, grey(ish) back, long tail. Not well-marked, so I guess 1st-winter.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Shape of bird and it's bill are wrong for Pinyon Jay, and right for whatever form of scrub jay is wherever you are 😊.

 

[rkj]

Looks fine for Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay.

 

[mikeshaw1]

Could you give a more-precise location?
Woodhouse's/(interior) western scrub-jay: (relatively) stubby bill, grey(ish) back, long tail. Not well-marked, so I guess 1st-winter.

Image was taken in Red Rock Canyon Open Space in the Colorado Springs area at about 3:30pm. It was at a high elevation in the park. The area was already in shadow.

 

[mikeshaw1]

I will add that the bird was sparrow/finch in size and was about 40 ft away. I did see 2 Scrubs in the same area and were much larger.

 

[Butty]

Judging the size of a lone bird is notoriously unreliable, I'm afraid.

 

[Brian J Small]

see this link -

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Your pictures have a bad colour cast, but are of a Woodhouses's Scrub Jay.

Brian

 

[AveryBartels]

While perhaps redundant at this point, I will echo what others have said: tail too long, bill not the right shape and whitish throat/overall face pattern all fit Scrub but rule out Pinyon. And, as Butty says, an inability to accurately judge a birds size is something that unites us all

One thing that often throws people off is when birds fluff up like this it can really change how they look. You'll note that pretty much the entire wing is covered up by a combination of the back and flank feathers which gives the bird a more uniformly-plumaged look by covering up the brighter blue of the wing (in this case).