Other Scientific Names
Cyanocorax morio [BirdLife International (2004, 2008)], Cyanocorax morio [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Cyanocorax morio [Stotz et al. (1996)]
Other Names (World)
Brown Jay, Plain-tipped Brown Jay (brown-tailed morph), Plain-tailed Brown Jay (brown-tailed morph), White-tipped Brown Jay (white-tipped morph)
Brown Jay (Psilorhinus morio) [XC871837]
by Peter Boesman from Cure\u00f1a, Sarapiqui, Heredia Province, Costa Rica (call, song)
Brown Jay (Psilorhinus morio) [XC475007]
by Matt Wistrand from Xalapa Enr\u00edquez, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (call)
Subspecies
Genus often subsumed in Cyanocorax. Occurs as two morphs, largely random in occurrence, white-tipped morph occurring at relatively high frequencies in arid and mesic regions, brown-tailed morph predominating in more humid areas. In Mexico, white-tipped morph, formerly treated as a separate species, "Cyanocorax mexicanus", recorded north to central Veracruz (Plan del Río, 19°12' north), and brown-tailed morph found south to Montecristo, in Tabasco.
Proposed subspecies cyanogenys (described from Pearl Cay Lagoon, in Nicaragua) is synonymized with nominate.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
palliatus van Rossem, 1934 - Extreme southern USA (lower Rio Grande Valley, in extreme south-eastern Texas), eastern Mexico (Nuevo León and Tamaulipas south to Veracruz, extreme eastern Tabasco and south-western Campeche), southern in Central America to western Panama (Almirante Bay region).
morio (Wagler, 1829) - South-eastern Mexico from coastal plain of central Veracruz south to eastern Tabasco (Montecristo) and northern Chiapas (Palenque).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet