Jays breed across almost all of the Palearctic and Oriental regions, but despite suitable habitat, there are no breeding records from the Bailiwick. It has always been a rare vagrant.

The first Bailiwick record comes from Alderney when seven birds were shot during the irruption of winter of 1886/87. The first record for Guernsey comes from Le Vallon in 1899 or 1900 and there have been three records this century. Birds were recorded at Le Moulin de Haut, Catel on 21 November 1910, Les Blanches, St Martin on 30 October and 1 November 1929 and at Le Vallon in June 1939. There have been no further records in Guernsey.

The only recent records have come from Sark where one was seen at Le Petit Dixcart on 4 May 1969, in La Forge area on 16 May 1984 and 14/15 January 1991 at La Seigneurie and Beauvoir (Rountree). Condor lists three records for Alderney: 2 on 22 May 1956, 3 in October 1977 and 1 in May and June 1978.