Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularis

Taxonomy:

The Island Scrub-Jay was considered a subspecies of the widespread Scrub Jay until 1995, when Scrub Jay was split into three species – Island, Western, and Florida Scrub-Jays.

Identification:

Distinguishing Island and Western Scrub-Jays

“I illustrated this species in my Sibley Guide to Birds (2000) but having never seen it I was forced to work from specimens, photographs, and expectations based on my familiarity with Western Scrub-Jay. Seeing the birds in life revealed a number of small differences and clarified the most useful distinctions, and it is worth summarizing that information here to update the guide.”