Species guide
Eurasian Jay: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, Africa and Asia. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Luc Viatour · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Garrulus glandarius
- Family
- Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Size
- About 32–35 cm
- Habitat
- Woodland, especially with oak, and large gardens
- Found in
- Europe, Africa and Asia
The key marks
A pinkish-brown bird with a black moustache, a white rump and a bright blue patch barred with black on the wing.
Voice
A harsh, screeching “skraak”.
Good to know
It buries thousands of acorns each autumn, and forgotten ones grow into new oaks.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in woodland, especially with oak, and large gardens. It is especially common in Israel, Türkiye, Poland and Greece. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.