Are there Blue Jay's in Southern California?

Question

I work at a summer camp and one of the kids saw a blue bird. It did not look like a Blue Jay but that is what we were all calling them. One of the campers had come up to me and told me the blue jays do not live in southern California and that it was a different species of bird. Does any one know what this bird could be?

Answer 1

No, no Blue Jays here...but we do get Western Scrub Jays (just about everywhere), Stellars Jays (in higher altitudes), and Pinyon Jays (desert).  Lots of people mistake Scrub Jays for Blue Jays because they do not know any better.

Answer 2

You didn't mention how high up in Southern California your camp is.  If it is in the mountains and the bird has a crest like a cardinal only blue, it's a Steller jay.  If it isn't in the mountains, the bird is likely a scrub jay, which is blue and grey and has no crest on it's head.

Answer 3

according to my bird book, their range stops well short of

you.  stellar's jay and scrub jay do both live in your area.

other blue birds in your area might be mountain bluebird.

blue grosbeak, and belted kingfisher.

on the other hand there is no telling when some other bird

will forget to read the book and show up unexpectedly.