In a backyard in suburban San Antonio, an unusual bird was discovered: the offspring of a green jay and a blue jay. These two types of jays come from lineages separated by about seven million years. Historically, their ranges barely overlapped, but due to climate changes, they have gradually expanded into each other’s territories.
Biologists from The University of Texas at Austin investigated this bird and confirmed its parentage. Brian Stokes, a graduate student in ecology, noted, “This is likely the first documented instance of hybridization between these two species, driven by climate change.”
In the 1950s, green jays were mostly tropical birds living in Central America, while blue jays were found primarily in the eastern U.S., reaching only as far west as Houston. Over the decades, both species have migrated: green jays northward and blue jays westward. Their overlapping ranges around San Antonio led to the birth of this hybrid.
Stokes, who was researching green jays, discovered the bird when a local shared a photo of it online. The bird appeared to be a blue jay at first glance, but something was different. After some attempts, Stokes successfully captured the bird using a mist net—a delicate mesh setup designed to catch unsuspecting birds. After taking a small blood sample for DNA testing and banding it, the bird disappeared for a couple of years. Miraculously, it returned in June 2025, and no one can say for sure why it chose that specific yard.
The DNA analysis confirmed it was a hybrid, resembling a blue jay but with traits from its green jay mother. This session adds depth to prior lab studies from the 1970s that crossed these species, but this case is unique: it happened naturally in the wild.
Stokes mentions that hybridization may be more common than researchers realize. Factors like climate change and human actions often separate species, but as their habitats shift, new opportunities for mating arise. Today, social media and genetic tools help spotlight these rare occurrences.
Hybrids serve as indicators of how changing climates may alter the dynamics of animal populations. In Texas, the convergence of a tropical and a temperate jay highlights significant ecological shifts. If their behaviors align, it may lead to more hybrids in the future.
The San Antonio jay, with its striking appearance, could symbolize future interactions among species as they adapt to new environments. The story of this bird illustrates the ongoing impacts of climate change on wildlife and enriches our understanding of ecological relationships.
The findings are detailed in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
For more insights on changes in bird populations, check reports from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society.
As climate patterns shift, new stories in nature, like this hybrid jay, continue to unfold.
