Nevada · Year-round resident

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays in Nevada

When Woodhouse's scrub-jays are present in Nevada, when they nest, which native Nevada plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–10a yard.

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

Status in Nevada: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–10a

When to expect Woodhouse's scrub-jays in Nevada

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays live in Nevada all year. Cold, dry winters in Reno and the north; mild winters in the south. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward cached piñon nuts and acorns.

Great Basin cold desert in the north and Mojave hot desert around Las Vegas.

Nesting in Nevada

Across Nevada, 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.

Very hot, dry summers; water is the top attractant.

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 Nevada plants that attract Woodhouse's scrub-jays

Of the regional native plants we track for Nevada, 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 Nevada year

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

Best foods: Peanuts, Sunflower.
In Nevada's winter: Cold, dry winters in Reno and the north; mild winters in the south.

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

Frequently asked

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

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

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

Nesting in Nevada 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 Nevada?

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

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays in other regions

Arizona Colorado Idaho New Mexico Oklahoma Oregon Texas Utah Wyoming

Other backyard birds in Nevada

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 Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Northern Mockingbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Black-billed Magpie Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Anna's Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Gambel's Quail California Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Black Phoebe Gila Woodpecker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Cactus Wren Verdin Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged 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.