Rare bird alert: Green Jay spotted along Southside San Antonio trail
The birds are typically seen in South Texas.
By Priscilla Aguirre,Senior Trending ReporterDec 11, 2024
Green Jays are native to Andes of South America.
Bird watchers, grab your binoculars as an uncommon beauty was spotted along a trail on San Antonio's Southside. The city's parks and recreation department posted on Facebook a picture of a Green Jay hiding in a live oak tree at Medina River Natural Area.
"These beautiful birds are considered uncommon for Bexar County and their vibrant blue crown and green feathers are a sight to see," the department wrote in its post on Monday, December 9. "Whether you're an experienced bird watcher or new to birding, head over to this natural area park and catch a glimpse."
Green Jays, known locally as the Rio Grande Jay, have a population that ranges from west-central Mexico to the highlands of Guatemala and northern Honduras, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Its limited distribution in the United States combined with its often boisterous nature and flashy green, yellow, black, and blue plumage make the Green Jay a special treat to visitors of the Rio Grande Valley.
In Texas, the Green Jay breeds almost exclusively in extreme southern Texas with confirmed records extending north to Kleberg County near Alice and Jim Wells County near Kingsville, according to data from the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research stated the Green Jay status in Texas seems to be improving with a definite northward trend. Experts describe the Green Jay as "somewhat irregular along northern limits" and as a "rare winter visitor to Alice and central coast." The "Birds of Bexar County" checklist considers the Green Jay an accidental species in San Antonio and no record of breeding has been reported there within the last 15 years.
Before 1980 there were no reports of the Green Jay north of San Antonio, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Research. |
