Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

OTHER NAMES: Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, Pine Jay
Latin Etymology: Cyanocitta ("cyan jay") stelleri (named for Steller)

 Adult Steller's Jay (subspecies C. s. frontalis) at San Francisco, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis
Weight: 105g  /  Length: 29cm  /  Wingspan: 43-48cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Steller's Jay is a sister species to the famous Blue Jay of North America, the only other species in the genus Cyanocitta, but while that species mainly lives to the East of the Rockies, the Steller's lives in the Rockies themselves and the West. Like other jays they are simultaneously noisy but shy and often only caught in fleeting glimpses.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
SUBSPECIES: C. s. stelleri, C. s. carlottae, C. s. frontalis, C. s. carbonacea, C. s. annectens, C. s. macrolpha, C. s. diademata, C. s. philippsi, C. s. coronata, C. s. purpurea, C. s. azteca, C. s. teotepecensis, C. s. restricta, C. s. ridgwayi, C. s. lazula, C. s. sauvis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Range centred on the Rockies and Pacific Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods, San Francisco and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

OTHER NAMES: Western Scrub Jay, Scrub Jay
Latin Etymology: Aphelocoma ("simple hair") californica ("of California")

Adult California Scrub Jay (subspecies A. c. oocleptica) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Aphelocoma californica oocleptica
Weight: 70-100g  /  Length: 27-31cm  /  Wingspan: 38-40cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A dash of bright blue from the trees was usually what I saw of this species - noisy and ubiquitous, it is nonetheless generally a fairly shy species by the standards of corvids, rarely giving me a good look at the brilliant plumage. They are known to cache food for winter, and can remember the location of over 200 such locations.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Aphelocoma
SUBSPECIES: A. c. immanis, A. c. caurina, A. c. oocleptica, A. c. californica, A. c. obscura, A. c. cana, A. c. cactophila, A. c. hypoleuca

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Washington, Oregon and Colorado
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods, San Jose, San Francisco and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

OTHER NAMES: Californian Nuthatch
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) pygmaea ("pygmy")

 

Adult Pygmy Nuthatch (subspecies S. p. pygmaea) at Roy's Redwoods, California- September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Sitta pygmaea pygmaea
Weight: 8.5-11g  /  Length: 9-11cm  /  Wingspan: 19cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A tiny species of nuthatch whose range is largely restricted to the US, they are specialists of coniferous forest, feeding on pine seeds and insects. To survive extremes of cold, they have been known to roost communally in groups of over 100 indivuduals to share body heat. 

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: S. p. melanotis, S. p. pygmaea, S. p. leuconucha, S. p. chihuahuae, S. p. brunnescens, S. p. flavinucha, S. p. elii

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Patchily distributed across Western Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Poecile (unknown small bird) rufescens ("reddish")

Adult Chestnut-backed Chickadee (subspecies P. r. barlowi) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Poecile rufescens barlowi
Weight: 8.5-12g  /  Length: 11-12cm  /  Wingspan: 19cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The only typical member of the tit family found in the Bay Area, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a fairly typical member of the family visually, although the namesake chestnut back does make it stand out. They are adaptable to harsh winters via being able to manage their own nocturnal hypothermia, which some studies have suggested could reduce their energy usage by approaching a third.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
SUBSPECIES: P. r. rufescens, P. r. neglectus, P. r. barlowi

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

A West Coast species, including Southern Alaska
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley and Roy's Redwoods

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)

OTHER NAMES: Silver-Gray Squirrel, California Gray Squirrel, Oregon Gray Squirrel, Columbian Gray Squirrel, Banner-tail
Latin Etymology: Sciurus ("squirrel") griseus ("grey")

Adult Western Gray Squirrel (subspecies S. g. griseus) at Roy's Redwoods - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Sciurus griseus griseus
Weight: 350-1000g  /  Length: 43-61cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largrest arboreal squirrel of the Western United States, unlike it's counterpart the Eastern Grey, it does not have the substantial introduced ranged outside North America. Their fur is also entirely silver-grey and white, and doesn't have the rust coloured patches like the Eastern. They are more closely tie to forest than their more common counterparts.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Sciuridae 
Genus: Sciurus 
SUBSPECIES: S. g. griseus, S. g. nigripes, S. g. anthonyi

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found in West Coast States

- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

OTHER NAMES: Black-tailed Deer, Blacktail Deer
Latin Etymology: Odocoileus ("hollow tooth") hemionus

Yonug of Mule Deer (subspecies O. h. columbianus) at Roy's Redwoods - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Odocoileus hemionus columbianus ("Columbian Black-tailed Deer")
Weight: 43-150kg  /  Length: 1.2-2.1cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the most abundant deer species of North America, the Mule Deer gets its name from it's large ostensiably mule like ears. They are found in the Western half of North America where they are found in a wide range of climates from Canada and Alaska to Mexico.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Odocoileus
SUBSPECIES: O. h. californicus, O. h. cerrosensis, O. h. eremicus, O. h. fuliginatus, O. h. hemonious, O. h. inyoensis, O. h. peninsulae, O. h. sheldoni, O. h. columbianus, O. h. sitkensis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found over the majority of the Western half of the Lower 48, and pockets of Alaska. Introduced in Hawai'i
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods, 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)

OTHER NAMES: Mylitta Crescentspot
Latin Etymology: Phyciodes ("red") mylitta (Babylonian Goddess)

 

Adult Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta) at Roy's Redwoods, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: unknown
Wingspan: 26-37mm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A small beautifully marked butterfly of Western North America, as larvae they feed on thistles. A widespread and common species that can find a home in even distubed habtat.  The fact that their larvae feed on thistles is considered particularly helpful as it helps control invasive thistle species. 

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Phycoides
SUBSPECIES: P. m. arizonensis, P. m arida, P. m. mexicana, P. m. mylitta, P. m thebais

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Range centred on the Rockies and Pacific Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno

-canto

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