Cyanocitta | |
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C. cristata | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Corvidae |
Genus: | Cyanocitta Strickland, 1845 |
Type species | |
Corvus cristatus Linnaeus, 1758
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Species | |
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Distribution of the Cyanocitta jays in North America. Red: Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), black: Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Dotted line: irregular wintering, dashed line: irregular breeding. |
Cyanocitta is a genus of birds in the family Corvidae, a family which contains the crows, jays and magpies. Established by Hugh Edwin Strickland in 1845, it contains the following species:[1]
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
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Cyanocitta cristata | Blue jay | Eastern Canada, eastern and central United States[2] |
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Cyanocitta stelleri | Steller's jay | west of the Rocky Mountains |
The name Cyanocitta is a combination of the Greek words kuanos, meaning "dark blue", and kitta, meaning "jay".[3]