AUSTIN (KXAN) — An extraordinary bird discovery near San Antonio is causing a sensation in the birding community. This new bird, a hybrid of Blue Jay and Green Jay, is called the “Grue Jay”.
“We view this as a significant event, a sign of swiftly changing environments,” stated Professor Timothy Keitt from the Department of Integrative Biology at The University of Texas in Austin, who co-authored a new paper on the “Grue Jay.”
Keitt’s research focuses on the Green Jay, a species extending its range northward due to climate changes. “We were curious whether their interaction with Blue Jays would hinder this range expansion due to potential hostility between the species.”
The question was answered in 2023 when a resident in the outskirts of San Antonio observed an unusual bird. Brian Stokes, a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin and the paper’s lead author, visited the site and documented the bird with photographs.
“We have only seen one bird right now. It is considered anomalous,” Stokes said.
The uniqueness of the “Grue Jay” stems from its slightly lighter blue coloring from its Blue Jay father, combined with the facial features of its Green Jay mother. Genetic tests confirmed its lineage.
“It might not be super noticeable to your average backyard birder,” Stokes said.
These species usually don’t interbreed. “They belong to different genera, indicating a considerable evolutionary gap, approximately 7.5 million years since their last common ancestor,” explained Stokes.
Blue Jays, found across Central Texas, and Green Jays are both social birds within their species. “It’s not unusual to have hybrids in birds, but these are intelligent, social animals that live in family groups,” Keitt said.
Keitt said that as the Green Jays have expanded further north, their territory has mixed with the Blue Jays. However, there still aren’t a ton of these species on the fringes of the territory.
“This was a result of that there were very few Blue Jays around and very few Green Jays in the same place,” Keitt said.
Stokes said this is not a new species. That doesn’t mean more couldn’t pop up.
The “Grue Jay” originally spotted in 2023 was seen again this summer. While he did hang out with Blue Jays, there is no telling if they would mate with the new bird.
“There might be some interest on its side. But you know, this could be your proverbial Ugly Duckling, where the bird isn’t the most attractive (to them),” Stokes said.
Keitt asks that if you spot the birds or other Jays to send photos and recordings to their team. You can reach him at tkeitt@utexas.edu.
