Brown Jay, Psilorhinus morio

Brown Jay, Psilorhinus morio, Sub-adult. Photograph taken in the coastal region of Costa Rica, February 2016. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Brown Jay, Psilorhinus morio. Photographs taken in the coastal region of Costa Rica, February 2016. Photographs courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Background and Identification

The Brown Jay, Psilorhinus morio, is a member of the Corvidae Family of Crows, Jays, and Magpies. Brown Jays are notable for their robust build, long tail, and strong bill. They are common and residents within their range, and are known as one of the most intelligent bird species. In Mexico, Brown Jay translates to Jay Marrón.

The Brown Jay has two different color morphs, plain-tailed and white-tailed. They are mid-sized in stature, but there have not been enough cases of hands-on field identification to determine average masses and other measurements. Adult Brown Jays have primarily dark brown plumage with slightly lighter underparts. Their wings and tail are darker, providing a subtle contrast to the rest of their body. They have dark eyes and a stout, black bill. Juveniles have a more mottled appearance with patches of white or lighter brown, particularly on their underparts and face.

Habitat and Geographical Range

Brown Jays inhabit humid lowland forests and secondary growth near fresh water, including subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical montane forests. They are typically found in regions with dense vegetation and a mix of open areas and forested patches, which provide ample foraging opportunities. They consume seasonal fruits, nectar, arthropods, and small vertebrates.

Geographically, the Brown Jay is found in parts of Central America, primarily from southern Texas in the United States through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. In Mexico, they are found in the coastal regions within the Atlantic Slope from Tampico, Tamaulipas to Belize, including the Yucatán Peninsula at elevations below 2,500 m (8,200 feet). Brown Jays are resident birds and do not usually take on long-distance migration, although they may move locally in response to food availability and environmental conditions, such as elevation. Birds that move depending on elevation are called altitudinal migrators.

Common Misidentifications

Brown Jays can be confused with other jay species and some similar-sized birds. One common misidentification is with the White-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta formosa, which shares part of the Brown Jay’s range. However, the White-throated Magpie-Jay has distinctive blue and white plumage with a long tail and a prominent crest, making it easy to differentiate from the uniformly brown Brown Jay.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective the Brown Jay is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations.