Scrub-Jays and Allies

Aphelocoma is a genus of passerine birds in the family Corvidae that includes the scrub jays and their relatives. They are New World jays found in Mexico, western Central America and the western United States, with an outlying population in Florida. This genus belongs to the group of New World jays which is not closely related to other jays, magpies or treepies. Within this group, according to a 2023 molecular analysis, Aphelocoma is the sister group to a clade consisting of Cyanocitta and Gymnorhinus. They live in open pine-oak forests, chaparral, and mixed evergreen forests.