Quick identification
Green jay (Cyanocorax yncas)
A vivid green, blue and black jay with a yellow-green body, dark throat and bright blue face and crown markings.
Season and local range: Nearby Lower Rio Grande Valley resident; occasional island visitor.
Habitat and island setting
Dense thornscrub, woodland edge and well-vegetated gardens, much more extensive on the mainland.
Where to look
For a dependable search, visit mainland Valley habitat such as Laguna Atascosa or Sabal Palm rather than assuming an island sighting. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Green jays are social, vocal and curious. Keep wild behavior wild by watching natural foraging and not using food to pull birds closer.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.