Mexican Jay
Mexican Jay has edged up: up 12% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Mexican Jay
The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) is a North American member of the Crows, Jays & Magpies (Corvidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 10–27.5 in long (25–70 cm) — a medium to large songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 18 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 3 states, most concentrated in the Sierra Madre Occidental.
- Family
- Corvidae · Forest birds
Notable Mexican Jay Trends
No notable trend signals for Mexican Jay. See the full index history below.
Mexican Jay Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Mexican Jay is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.05 (95% range 0.00–0.11). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±62.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| 2026 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| 2027 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| 2028 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| 2029 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
Where the Mexican Jay Is Detected
BBS routes recording Mexican Jay, sized by most recent count.
Mexican Jay Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -14% | 1970 | 16 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
Mexican Jay Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -53% | 1970 | 16 |
Mexican Jay Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 12% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.