Cyanocorax affinis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The black-chested jay (Cyanocorax affinis) is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. Measuring 34 cm (13 in) long, this jay is easily recognized from its distinctive facial pattern and yellow eye. The head, face, and chest are mostly black with violet-blue spots above and below the eye, as well as a violet-blue malar stripe. The underparts are white as is the tip of the tail, while the upperparts and wings are mainly dark violet-blue. It does not exhibit sexual dimorphism.
It is found in Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, Panama and far eastern Costa Rica. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest.
Its population is stable. BirdLife species factsheet for Cyanocorax affinis "Cyanocorax affinis". Avibase. "Black-chested jay media". Internet Bird Collection. Black-chested jay photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
Interactive range map of Cyanocorax affinis at IUCN Red List Audio recordings of Black-chested jay on Xeno-canto. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utría National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Cahuita National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 9 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Monkeyland | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Birds of Eden | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | zoologico de barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cali Zoo | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-chested Jay sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 99 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-chested Jay in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-chested 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.
3rd of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Black-chested Jay sightings, Darién National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Utría National Natural Park (Colombia, about 30%) and San Lorenzo Protected Forest (Panama, about 20%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Black-chested Jay that you can see in Darién National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Western Slaty-Antshrike (about 50%), Chestnut-backed Antbird (about 40%) and Golden-headed Manakin (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-chested Jay is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (99 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
