Bushy-crested Jay

Bushy-crested Jay

Cyanocorax melanocyaneus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Guatemala City

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

2,043 Verified sightings at Guatemala City
442 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Bushy-crested Jay

The bushy-crested jay (Cyanocorax melanocyaneus) is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is found in Central America, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.

The adult bushy-crested jay has a length of 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in). The tail is long and the central feathers are graduated. The sexes look alike; the head, neck, breast and upper mantle are black while the remaining upper parts are dark blue with a sheen of green or violet. The underparts are plain greenish-blue, the undersides of the wings are grey and the underside of the tail is blackish. The head bears a stubble-like erectile crown of feathers, the beak is black and relatively small, the irises are yellow and the legs black.

This jay is native to Central America where it is found in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua at altitudes between about 600 and 2,450 m (2,000 and 8,000 ft). Its habitat is humid forests, especially... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:15

Guatemala · 2024

© Brendan Sloan · XC982716 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call1:08

Honduras · 2014

© Francisco Dubon · XC197051 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:45

Guatemala · 2024

© Peter Boesman · XC880064 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~60%
2 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~50%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Guatemala City 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~40%
2 Tegucigalpa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bushy-crested Jay in Guatemala City?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bushy-crested Jay sighting in Guatemala City on a given day, based on 2,043 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 14th most-seen of the 220 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bushy-crested Jay in Guatemala City?

February and July–August

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Bushy-crested Jay in Guatemala City on a given day, against about 30% in November and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Bushy-crested Jay?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bushy-crested Jay sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Guatemala City the best place to see a Bushy-crested Jay?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Bushy-crested Jay sightings, Guatemala City has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Tegucigalpa (Honduras, about 10%).

Where does the Bushy-crested Jay sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bushy-crested Jay is recorded against all the birds logged in Guatemala City (2,043 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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