Jay (Garrulus glandarius)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks October to November · Crows, Jays, and Magpies · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Jay has been recorded in 2,262 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (76%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in October to November.
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (IUCN Red List, NE)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 28% or more of visits
- High
- 15% to 28%
- Moderate
- 7% to 15%
- Low
- under 7%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64% | 14% | Very high |
| February | 55% | 12% | Very high |
| March | 58% | 13% | Very high |
| April | 65% | 14% | Very high |
| May | 50% | 11% | Low |
| June | 46% | 10% | Very high |
| July | 39% | 9% | Low |
| August | 45% | 10% | Low |
| September | 74% | 16% | Very high |
| October | 100% | 22% | Very high |
| November | 86% | 19% | Very high |
| December | 75% | 16% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in October
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C51 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C83 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D31 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J06 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J33 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J47 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J48 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J55 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NC30 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NC73 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |