| Aphelocoma | |
|---|---|
| |
| A California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Aphelocoma Cabanis, 1851 |
| Type species | |
| Garrulus californicus[1] Vigors, 1839
| |
| Species | |
The passerine birds of the genus Aphelocoma[a] include 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 (or "blue") jays—possibly a distinct subfamily–which is not closely related to other jays, magpies or treepies.[2] Within this group, according to a 2023 molecular analysis, Aphelocoma is the sister group to a clade consisting of Cyanocitta and Gymnorhinus.[3] They live in open pine-oak forests, chaparral, and mixed evergreen forests.
- ^ "Corvidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S.; Ekman, Jan (2005). "Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data" (PDF). Journal of Avian Biology. 36 (3): 222–234. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.493.5531. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x.
- ^ McCullough, J.M.; Hruska, J.P.; Oliveros, C.H.; Moyle, R.G.; Andersen, M.J. (2023). "Ultraconserved elements support the elevation of a new avian family, Eurocephalidae, the white-crowned shrikes". Ornithology. 140 (3): ukad025. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukad025.
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