Blue jay-green jay hybrid: First of its kind bird discovered in San Antonio, sparks climate change concerns

A homeowner’s sighting near San Antonio led to the discovery of the first known blue jay–green jay hybrid, raising climate change concerns.

Biologists in the University of Texas say they have confirmed something never seen before: A hybrid bird born from a blue jay and a green jay. The unusual bird was first spotted in May 2023 by a homeowner in Bexar County, near San Antonio, People magazine reported.

Biologists discover the first known blue jay–green jay hybrid (University of Texas website)

The resident shared photographs in a Facebook birding group, catching the attention of the researchers. A month later, the biologists were able to capture the bird, take a blood sample, tag it, and release it back into the wild.

Here’s what the biologists discovered

The findings were published this month in Ecology and Evolution by Brian Stokes, a graduate student in ecology, evolution and behavior at University of Texas and first author of the study, as well as Tim Keitt, Brain’s faculty advisor and integrative biology professor at the institution.

The discovery has been linked to climate change. They noted that since the 1950s, the blue jays lived mostly in the eastern United States, while green jays were found in Central America and along the southern Texas border.

But since the early 2000s, rising temperatures have shifted ranges and pushed both the bird species into the San Antonio region. With overlapping habitats, the two species may have had a chance to breed.

“As species continue to shift their ranges in response to climate change, encounters among historically separate groups may become increasingly common,” Stokes and Keitt wrote. They added that understanding these encounters is “a central challenge for ecologists in the coming decades.”

Stokes believes this may not be an isolated case. “Hybridization is probably way more common in the natural world than researchers know about,” he said, noting that many cases likely go unreported because animals remain separated or researchers don’t have a chance to document them.

Details on the ‘grue jay’

The bird is male, with mostly blue feathers like a blue jay but with black facial markings more common in green jays, Stokes said. The biologists stated that its calls sounded like a blend of the two species. The hybrid ‘grue jay’ has yet to be formally named, though they have pointed out other hybrid nicknames in nature, such as “pizzly bear” for polar bear-grizzly hybrid or “zonkey" for a zebra-donkey hybrid.

The discovery of the hybrid bird in Texas is being seen as an early example of how shifting climates can affect wildlife in unexpected ways, not just through loss of habitat but through new species interactions that biologists are only beginning to track.

FAQs:

What did scientists discover in Texas?

Researchers confirmed the first known hybrid between a blue jay and a green jay.

Where was the hybrid bird found?

It was spotted in Bexar County near San Antonio, Texas, in May 2023.

What makes this hybrid unique?

The male bird has blue feathers like a blue jay, black markings like a green jay, and mixed vocal sounds.

Why are scientists linking this to climate change?

Rising temperatures have shifted species’ ranges, causing the blue jay and green jay to overlap for the first time.