First Tufted Jay Specimens

Date: November 7, 1934 • Location: Mexico City, Mexico

The first specimens of the tufted jay (pictured) to be scientifically described were collected in Mexico.

The tufted jay, also known as the painted jay and Dickey's jay, is a species of bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is endemic to a small area of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Durango, and Nayarit. A distinctive large jay, it has a prominent dark crest on its head; purplish blue back, wings, and face; a white spot above the eye and on the cheek; white undersides; and a partially white tail. Its typical call is a quick, four-note vocalization.