Since 2004 · Licensed by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT)

Silvery-throated Jay (Cyanolyca argentigula)
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
Silvery-throated Jay

Family Corvidae

Silvery-throated Jay

Cyanolyca argentigula

In Spanish: Urraca Gorgiplateada

  • Resident
  • Regional endemic

A rare blue jay of high oak forest, found only in Costa Rica and western Panama.

The Silvery-throated Jay (Urraca Gorgiplateada) is a resident of high montane forest, found only in Costa Rica and western Panama. It is considered very uncommon here, and birders seek it out because it is endemic to the region.

On a trip we build, guests look for it in the Talamanca highlands, where the largest tracts of intact high forest remain. It is unmistakable when seen, but it is often hard to see well.

How to find it

The Talamancas offer the best chance, though it is still tough. It needs primary highland oak forest, and it is not found on Poas and Barva volcanoes. It is very rare and local around Irazu and Turrialba. The jay is often found by its calls first, so listen for a group before looking up into the canopy.

How to recognise it

This is a blue and black jay. The back, neck and sides of the breast are black, fading into purplish blue, while the wings and tail are paler, brighter blue above. The eyes are deep red, and the bill and legs are black. The silvery or whitish throat patch gives the bird its name, and an eyebrow of the same colour shows in good light. Young birds are duller than adults and lack the white on the head. In the Cordillera Central, the throat patch and narrow head stripe are glossy white.

Behaviour and diet

It usually travels in flocks of about 4 to 10 birds, and outside the breeding season flocks can grow to as many as 30. It forages mostly in the subcanopy and canopy, lower at forest edges, moving slowly. Birds search foliage, bromeliads and mossy branches, probing moss, lichens and epiphytes and poking into crevices in wood. It eats insects, small frogs, salamanders, lizards and berries.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it lives in montane evergreen forest, in the subtropical and lower temperate zones, at roughly 2,000 to 3,200 m (6,600 to 10,500 ft). It occurs in two separate areas: the Cordillera Central in the centre of the country, and the Cordillera de Talamanca, which continues south into western Panama. Unlike some other jays, it needs high quality primary forest, and even there it is not common.

When to see it

It is a year-round resident. Breeding seems to last at least from March to June in Costa Rica, though the season is not fully known.

Similar birds

The Azure-hooded Jay has a black throat and a sky-blue rear crown and nape, while the Silvery-throated Jay has a whitish throat. The Azure-hooded gives loud, bright 'eihnk' calls, usually repeated four to five times, quite different from the harsh 'nyah' series.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The official Spanish name is Urraca Gorgiplateada. Another form used in some lists is Chara Gorjiplateada, and the Panamanian spelling is Urraca Gorguiplateada.

Status and conservation

The official Costa Rican list marks it R-END, a resident found only in Costa Rica and western Panama, and it is considered very uncommon here.

Photography tips

A Costa Rican news article calls it difficult to photograph, though it is unmistakable. Birds often stay high above the canopy and give only brief glimpses, so patience is the main tool. One birder who waited at a high site was eventually rewarded with a clear view in full light.

How we know this 20 sources, each read on the date shown
  1. Wikipedia read 2026-11-04https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvery-throated_jay
  2. Cloudbridge Nature Reserve bird list read 2026-11-04https://www.cloudbridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Bird-Species-List-Costa-Rica-13-April-2020.pdf
  3. Wikipedia (via Wikiwand) read 2026-11-04https://wikiwand.com/en/Silvery-throated_jay
  4. Bird Watching Costa Rica read 2026-11-04https://www.birdwatchingcostarica.com/ave/silvery-throated-jay/
  5. Teletica read 2026-11-04https://www.teletica.com/ambiente/siete-especies-de-aves-endemicas-de-costa-rica-que-tal-vez-no-conocia_345830
  6. Cornell Birds of the World read 2026-11-04https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/sitjay1/cur/introduction
  7. AOCR Lista Oficial read 2026-11-04https://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/lista-oficial/lista-oficial-online/
  8. Wikipedia read 2026-11-04https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanolyca_argentigula
  9. Birding Craft read 2026-11-04https://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/tag/resplendent-quetzal/
  10. Birding Craft read 2026-11-04http://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/2024/04/27/expectations-for-birding-in-costa-rica-4-high-elevation-areas/
  11. Costa Rica Focus read 2026-11-04https://www.costaricafocus.com/birding-san-gerardo-de-dota-costa-rica-a-complete-guide/
  12. Birds of Passage read 2026-11-04https://birdsofpassage.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/cerro-de-la-muerte-providencia-mirador-de-quetzales/
  13. Avibase read 2026-11-04https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=A804CFF22A1162C1
  14. Oiseaux-birds.com read 2026-11-04https://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-silvery-throated-jay.html
  15. Jan Axel's Blog read 2026-11-04http://janbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/target-birding-silvery-throated-jay.html
  16. Birding Craft read 2026-11-04https://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/2018/05/22/elusive-birds-of-costa-rica-the-mountains/
  17. Costa Rica Birding Tours read 2026-11-04http://costaricabirdingtours.com/savegre_lodge_san_gerardo_dota_cloud_forest.html
  18. Birds of the World read 2026-11-04https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/azhjay1/cur/identification
  19. Wikipedia read 2026-11-04https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure-hooded_jay
  20. Animalia.bio read 2026-11-04https://animalia.bio/silvery-throated-jay