# Eurasian Jay (*Garrulus glandarius*)

The Eurasian jay (*Garrulus glandarius*) is a bird of the crow family, Corvidae, in the order Passeriformes.

> The Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) is a colourful member of the crow family, pinkish-brown with a black moustache stripe and a bright blue-barred wing patch. It lives in woodland across Europe, North Africa and Asia. Each autumn it buries thousands of acorns to eat later, and the ones it forgets grow into new oak trees. It is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Woodland across Europe, north-west Africa and Asia east to Japan and south-east Asia.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-jay/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Passeriformes
- **Family:** Corvidae
- **Genus:** Garrulus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Garrulus glandarius |
| Diet | Acorns and other seeds, insects, eggs and nestlings |
| Habitat | Broadleaved and mixed woodland, parks and large gardens |
| Length | About 34 cm |
| Weight | About 170 g |
| Lifespan | Typically 4 years; oldest ringed bird 16 years 9 months |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025) |

## Identification

Jays are pinkish-brown with a white rump, a black tail, a streaked crest that can be raised, a bold black moustache and a patch of electric-blue feathers barred with black on each wing. They are shy in woodland and usually given away by their harsh, screeching call.

## Acorn planters

In autumn jays collect acorns, carrying several at a time in the throat, and bury them singly in the ground to eat over winter. Many are never recovered, so jays are among the most important dispersers of oak trees in Europe.

## Mimicry

Jays are skilled mimics. They copy the calls of other birds, especially the mewing of the common buzzard, as well as other sounds from their surroundings.

## Status

BirdLife International lists the Eurasian jay as Least Concern (2025), estimating 24 to 46 million mature birds and a stable trend. Jays are mostly resident but move in large numbers in years when the acorn crop fails.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a jay a crow?

Yes. Jays belong to the crow family, Corvidae, along with magpies, rooks, jackdaws and ravens.

### Why do jays bury acorns?

To store food for winter. They remember many of the hiding places, but the acorns they miss can grow into new oaks.

### What is the difference between a Eurasian jay and a blue jay?

They are different species in different genera. The blue jay of North America is mostly blue and white; the Eurasian jay is pinkish-brown with blue only on the wings.

### How long do jays live?

BTO data give a typical life expectancy of 4 years; the oldest ringed jay lived 16 years and 9 months.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eurasian-jay-garrulus-glandarius)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Garrulus glandarius. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Garrulus_glandarius/)
- [BTO BirdFacts: Jay. British Trust for Ornithology.](https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/jay)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Eurasian Jay

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-jay/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.