About Aphelocoma unicolor (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1847)
The unicolored jay, with the scientific name Aphelocoma unicolor (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1847), is approximately 34 cm (13 in) long. The nominate subspecies, A. u. unicolor, weighs between 125 to 150 g (4.4 to 5.3 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. The nominate subspecies is entirely deep blue to purplish blue, with slightly darker coloration on the sides of the head and throat. Juveniles are slightly bluish gray, which is duller than adult plumage. The subspecies A. u. griscomi has identical plumage to the nominate. Among the other subspecies, A. u. guerrerensis is the most purplish, A. u. concolor is a paler blue than the nominate, and A. u. oaxacae is somewhat darker than the nominate. Adult unicolored jays of all subspecies have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet, while immature individuals have pale bills. The unicolored jay has a highly disjunct distribution, with each subspecies occupying a separate range: A. u. guerrerensis is found in southwestern Mexico, in the Sierra Madre del Sur of west-central Guerrero; A. u. concolor is found in the eastern Mexican states of eastern Hidalgo, west-central Veracruz, México, and Puebla; A. u. oaxacae is found in southern Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca; A. u. unicolor is found in Mexico's Chiapas state and Guatemala's Sierra de las Minas; A. u. griscomi is found in northern El Salvador, western and central Honduras, and occurs incidentally in extreme north-central Nicaragua. The unicolored jay inhabits the subtropical and lower temperate zones. In Chiapas, it primarily lives in pine-oak forest with a somewhat open canopy. In other parts of its range, it can be found in pine-oak forest, cloudforest, and pine savanna. Different sources report different overall elevational ranges for the species, stating both 1,500 to 3,000 m (4,900 to 9,800 ft) and 1,300 to 3,300 m (4,300 to 10,800 ft). Outside of Mexico, the species occurs between 1,750 to 3,050 m (5,700 to 10,000 ft).
