Cyanocitta | |
---|---|
C. cristata | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Corvidae |
Genus: |
Cyanocitta Strickland, 1845 |
Type species | |
Corvus cristatus
Linnaeus, 1758
| |
Species | |
Distribution of the Cyanocitta jays in North America. Red: Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), black: Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Dotted line: irregular wintering, dashed line: irregular breeding. |
Cyanocitta is a genus of birds in the family Corvidae, a family which contains the crows, jays and magpies. Established by Hugh Edwin Strickland in 1845, it contains the following species: [1]
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blue jay |
Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) Four subspecies
|
eastern and central United States, Newfoundland, Canada
[2] |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
Steller's jay |
Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, JF, 1788) Thirteen subspecies
|
west of the Rocky Mountains |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
The name Cyanocitta is a combination of the Greek words kuanos, meaning "dark blue", and kitta, meaning "jay". [3]