Colorado · Year-round resident

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays in Colorado

When Woodhouse's scrub-jays are present in Colorado, when they nest, which native Colorado plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–7b yard.

Crows and jays (Corvidae)Woodhouse's Scrub-JayAphelocoma woodhouseii

Status in Colorado: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–7b

When to expect Woodhouse's scrub-jays in Colorado

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays live in Colorado all year. Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward cached piñon nuts and acorns.

Semi-arid high plains in the east and the Rocky Mountains through the center, with most backyards between 5,000 and 7,000 ft.

Nesting in Colorado

Across Colorado, Woodhouse's scrub-jays typically nest from April–June. Nest site: twig cup in junipers and oaks. Females lay 2–7 eggs, incubate for 15–17 days, and young leave the nest after 18 days.

Warm, dry days and cool nights; afternoon storms are common in July and August.

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

Native Colorado plants that attract Woodhouse's scrub-jays

Of the regional native plants we track for Colorado, these 4 provide food or cover Woodhouse's scrub-jays use:

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.

Feeding Woodhouse's scrub-jays through the Colorado year

A bird of piñon-juniper and oak scrub; common in Great Basin and Southwest yards.

Best foods: Peanuts, Sunflower.
In Colorado's winter: Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly.

Full diet breakdown for Woodhouse's scrub-jays · Best feeder for Woodhouse's scrub-jays

Frequently asked

Are Woodhouse's scrub-jays in Colorado year-round?

Yes. Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays are year-round residents in Colorado.

When do Woodhouse's scrub-jays nest in Colorado?

Nesting in Colorado typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–7 eggs, incubated for 15–17 days.

What native plants attract Woodhouse's scrub-jays in Colorado?

Rocky Mountain juniper, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, Douglas fir are native plants in Colorado that provide food or cover for Woodhouse's scrub-jays.

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays in other regions

Arizona Idaho Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Oregon Texas Utah Wyoming

Other backyard birds in Colorado

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's 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 Canyon Towhee Gambel's Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Ladder-backed Woodpecker Curve-billed Thrasher Bewick's Wren 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.