Long-crested Jay

“Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha. Long-crested Jay. Upper parts sooty umber-brown, with a faint blue tinge, blackening on head and neck all around in decided contrast, passing on rump and upper tail-coverts into beautiful light cobalt-blue; passing on fore breast into the same blue which occupies all the under parts. Crest black, but faced on forehead with bluish-white, which, when the feathers are not disturbed, runs in two parallel lines from the nostrils upward - these colored tips of the feathers of firmer texture than their basal portions. One or both eyelids patched with white. Chin abruptly whitish, streaky. Exposed surfaces of wings rich indigo-blue, most intense on the inner secondaries, which, with the greater coverts, are regularly and firmly barred across both webs with black; the outer webs of the primaries lighter blue, more like that of the rump or under parts, Upper surface of tail rich indigo, like the secondaries, and similarly black-barred; these bands most distinct towards the end and on the outer webs of the feathers; tail viewed from below appearing mostly blackish. Iris dark. Bill and feet black.” Elliot Coues , 1884

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