Wyoming · Year-round resident

Steller's Jays in Wyoming

When Steller's jays are present in Wyoming, when they nest, which native Wyoming plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–5b yard.

Crows and jays (Corvidae)Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri

Status in Wyoming: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–5b

When to expect Steller's jays in Wyoming

Steller's Jays live in Wyoming all year. Cold, very windy winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward cached acorns and pine nuts.

Semi-arid high plains and basins with major mountain ranges; most towns lie above 5,000 ft.

Nesting in Wyoming

Across Wyoming, Steller's jays typically nest from May–June. Nest site: bulky cup in conifers 10–30 ft up. Females lay 2–6 eggs, incubate for 16–18 days, and young leave the nest after 16–21 days.

Short, warm summers with cool nights.

Steller's Jays don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as bur oak, rocky mountain juniper, ponderosa pine for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Wyoming plants that attract Steller's jays

Of the regional native plants we track for Wyoming, these 6 provide food or cover Steller's jays use:

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Ponderosa pine

Pinus ponderosa · Tree

Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.

Gambel oak

Quercus gambelii · Tree

Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii · Tree

Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Feeding Steller's jays through the Wyoming year

Common at campgrounds and mountain feeders; caches thousands of seeds in fall.

Best foods: Peanuts in the shell, Black-oil sunflower, Suet.
In Wyoming's winter: Cold, very windy winters.

Full diet breakdown for Steller's jays · Best feeder for Steller's jays

Frequently asked

Are Steller's jays in Wyoming year-round?

Yes. Steller's Jays are year-round residents in Wyoming.

When do Steller's jays nest in Wyoming?

Nesting in Wyoming typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 16–18 days.

What native plants attract Steller's jays in Wyoming?

Bur oak, Rocky Mountain juniper, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, Douglas fir, White spruce are native plants in Wyoming that provide food or cover for Steller's jays.

Steller's Jays in other regions

Alaska Alberta Arizona British Columbia California Colorado Idaho Montana New Mexico Oregon South Dakota Utah Washington

Other backyard birds in Wyoming

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.