Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Blue Jay

Corvidae Forest birdsCyanocitta cristata

Blue Jay has declined: down 48% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-48%Since 1968

2,798Routes

58Years Surveyed

About the Blue Jay

A bold, crested member of the crow and jay family, the Blue Jay is a noisy, intelligent resident of eastern woodlands and backyards that famously caches acorns.

Size: 10–12 in long, about 3 oz (25–30 cm, 85 g)
Habitat: Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet: Acorns, nuts and seeds, plus insects; caches acorns in fall.
Range: Recorded on 2,798 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 41 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family: Corvidae · Forest birds
Conservation: Least Concern

Notable Blue Jay Trends

No notable trend signals for Blue Jay. See the full index history below.

Blue Jay Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Blue Jay is projected to fall about 22% by 2029 — from 7.2 in 2024 to a central estimate of 5.7 (95% range 3.8–7.5). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±19.8%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-22%Change by 2029

5.7Projected 2029 index

3.8–7.595% range

±19.8%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% low	95% high
2025	6.1	4.2	7.9
2026	6.0	4.1	7.8
2027	5.9	4.0	7.7
2028	5.8	3.9	7.6
2029	5.7	3.8	7.5

Where the Blue Jay Is Detected

BBS routes recording Blue Jay, sized by most recent count.

Blue Jay Population Trend by State

Blue Jay population trend by state.

Alabama	-46%	1968	109
Arkansas	-34%	1969	61
Colorado	+27%	1975	40
Connecticut	-61%	1968	20
Delaware	+4%	1968	17
Florida	-35%	1968	124
Georgia	-50%	1968	111
Illinois	-54%	1968	105
Indiana	+3%	1968	69
Iowa	-43%	1969	39
Kansas	+67%	1969	66
Kentucky	-47%	1968	64
Louisiana	+20%	1969	99
Maine	-21%	1968	78
Maryland	-33%	1968	76
Massachusetts	-62%	1968	32
Michigan	+34%	1968	108
Minnesota	+88%	1969	92
Mississippi	-35%	1968	74
Missouri	-8%	1969	95
Montana	insufficient data	n/a	8
Nebraska	+12%	1969	71
New Hampshire	-48%	1968	26
New Jersey	-47%	1968	44
New Mexico	insufficient data	n/a	3
New York	+20%	1968	129
North Carolina	-58%	1968	112
North Dakota	+207%	1969	42
Ohio	+73%	1968	89
Oklahoma	-33%	1969	65
Pennsylvania	+37%	1968	137
Rhode Island	-52%	1968	7
South Carolina	-41%	1968	51
South Dakota	-64%	1969	50
Tennessee	-46%	1968	55
Texas	+50%	1969	138
Vermont	-19%	1968	26
Virginia	-49%	1968	88
West Virginia	+230%	1968	63
Wisconsin	+4%	1968	98
Wyoming	+72%	1975	17

Blue Jay Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Blue Jay population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

Prairie Potholes	-36%	1969	101
Boreal Hardwood Transition	+25%	1968	127
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	+58%	1968	86
Atlantic Northern Forest	-17%	1968	156
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau	-34%	1986	8
Badlands and Prairies	-49%	1969	57
Shortgrass Prairie	-51%	1969	75
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	+13%	1969	115
Edwards Plateau	+260%	1973	14
Oaks and Prairies	+5%	1969	68
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	-2%	1968	278
Prairie Hardwood Transition	+6%	1968	161
Central Hardwoods	-41%	1968	166
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	+4%	1969	109
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	-2%	1968	73
Southeastern Coastal Plain	-39%	1968	346
Appalachian Mountains	+1%	1968	405
Piedmont	-37%	1968	171
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	-52%	1968	164
Peninsular Florida	-43%	1968	79
Gulf Coastal Prairie	+29%	1969	34

Blue Jay Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 48% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.