Jay

Jay animal (bird) is a family of medium-sized, usually colourful and noisy passerine birds belonging to the Corvidae family of crow. The evolutionary connection between jays and magpies is rather complex. The Eurasian magpie, for example, appears to be more closely related to the Eurasian jay than to the East Asian blue and green magpies, but the blue jay bird is not. The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), which is found in Florida, the western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma California), which is found throughout western North America, and the island scrub-jay (Aphelocoma insularis), which is only found on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California, are now classified as separate species. Jay animal is called "bluejays bird" in the area, but they lack the crests of C. cristata.

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Blue Jay Bird

Jay, any of the 35 to 40 bird species in the Corvidae family (order Passeriformes) that live in woodlands and are known for their loud, noisy behaviour. The majority are located in the New World, although there are a few that are Eurasian. Jays eat almost everything; some steal eggs, and many stockpile seeds and nuts for the winter. In a tree, they build a twiggy, cup-like nest. Most species become gregarious after mating. Blue and white with a narrow black neckline, the 30-cm (12-inch) blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is located east of the Rockies in North America. The dark blue, black-crested Steller's jay takes its place westward (C. stelleri). Jays do not belong to a single species.

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According to anatomical and molecular data, they may be split into two groups: an American and an Old World lineage (the latter comprising ground jays and piapiacs), with grey jays of the genus Perisoreus forming a separate group. The black magpie, which was once thought to be related to jays, is now considered a treepie. The crested jay (Platylophus galericulatus) has been traditionally put here, but its exact location is unclear; it does not appear to be a corvid.

Blue Jay Feeding Habits

Bluejays bird eats a variety of invertebrates, many of which are nuisance insects, and as a result, these birds are beneficial to agriculture. Jays prefer acorns above all other foods, but they will also eat seeds, fruits, young birds, eggs, bats, and small rodents. Jays flying around on the ground looking for acorns and hiding spots. The act of storing acorns in this manner is known as ‘caching,' because it supplies food for the birds during times of scarcity. However, not all acorns are rediscovered, thus some are left to mature into oak trees. Jays have been known to steal eggs and young birds from nests.

Blue jay feeding habits of pinching eggs may cause them to be as disliked as magpies. It might be difficult to attract jays to your garden since they prefer to stay in the safety of their forest environment, but peanuts and mealworms may entice them to visit. Jays are known to be hungry birds, so those tasty treats could convince them to abandon their natural urge to hide. 

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Distribution and Population

Western Europe and North Africa are home to the Eurasian jay. It's also found throughout the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. Jays may be found across the United Kingdom, except northern Scotland. The population of this bird is currently steady. The loss of forested habitats and low acorn yields, on the other hand, pose a threat to jays. There are now 170,000 breeding pairs in the United Kingdom. The majority of jays in Britain are stationary, but when there is a poor acorn harvest in their native regions, birds from farther afield become irruptive and may arrive in huge numbers along the east coast of Britain in the fall.

Blue Jay Bird Breed

Jays like deciduous woods and, to a lesser degree, coniferous woodlands for breeding. Jays in Ireland are much shyer and elusive than those in the United Kingdom and Europe and are only rarely seen in suburban gardens. The beginning of the nesting season for jays is usually around April. Pairs marry for life and labour together to build their cluttered nests. Twigs, roots, and hair are used to line nests in trees and bushes, where the female will deposit four to five eggs. The eggs are incubated for 16 days, and the chicks are ready to fly at 22 days. Jays build their nests in trees and big bushes. They build messy twig nests with roots, hairs, and fibres as lining, which are created by both birds. In most cases, these birds lay 4-6 eggs, which hatch after 16–19 days. After 21–23 days, the chicks fledge. The young are getting filled by both sexes.

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Identification of Blue Jay Bird

Probably one of Ireland's most colourful and striking breeding birds. About the same size as a Jackdaw, with similar ages and sexes. The body is a light brown colour, with black streaks on the head. From the base of the bill to the neck, there is a black stripe. The neck is completely white. Large patches of blue and white appear on the usually black wings when in flight. Has a big white rump that stands out against the black tail. The flying is a little unsteady and fluttery.

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Voice of Blue Jay Bird

Its loud voice is the most common way of revealing its presence. The most frequent noise is a loud "haasch –haasch." A skilled imitation of the Buzzards mewing sound is among the other calls. The tune is faint and very sometimes heard.

Species of Jay

1. Eurasian Jay

The Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) is a passerine bird that belongs to the Corvidae family. It can be found all over the world, from western Europe and northwestern Africa to the Indian subcontinent, the eastern shore of Asia, and south-east Asia. Several unique ethnic forms have developed over this broad range, all of which seem extremely different from one another, especially when comparing forms at the extremities of its range. 

The Eurasian jay is a tiny corvid with a length of 34–35 cm (13–14 in) and a wingspan of 52–58 cm (20–23 in), similar to a western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula).

The body plumage of the nominate race ranges from pale rufous-brown to pinkish brown. A strong black moustache line surrounds the white neck on both sides. The black lines on the forehead and crown are white. The rump is white. The top surface of the wing has a complicated pattern of black and white bars, as well as a conspicuous bright blue patch with fine black bars. The majority of the tail is black.

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2. Henderson's Ground Jay

The Mongolian ground jay (Podoces hendersoni) is a species of bird that belongs to the Corvidae family.

It may be found in Central Asia's dry regions (Mongolia, northern China and adjacent areas of Russia and Kazakhstan). The main feathers of the bird are iridescent blue and the bird is pale brown. It has a black stripe across its forehead and a large, curved beak. At the beginning of the nesting season, females spend more time foraging while males spend more time brooding the chicks.

Common lizards, toad-headed agama, and invertebrates make up the majority of the nestling Mongolian ground jay's diet. Mongolian ground jays are thought to feed their chicks based on the availability of their food rather than the stage of development of the chicks.

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3. Florida Scrub-jay

One of the scrub jay species native to North America is the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). It is the only bird species unique to the state of Florida in the United States, and one of just 15 indigenous to the whole continent. Birders are anxious to see it because of this. It has been a separate species in Florida for at least 2 million years and is believed to have derived from the ancestors of Woodhouse's scrub jay. It varies in length from 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in) and weighs between 66 and 92 g (2.3 to 3.2 oz), with an average of 80.2 g. (2.83 oz).

The jay's wingspan is 33–36 cm (13–14 in). It features a powerful black beak, a whitish forehead and supercilium, a blue bib, blue wings, grey underparts, grey back, long blue tail, and black legs and feet.

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4. Piapiac

The piapiac (Ptilostomus afer) is the only member of the genus Ptilostomus, and it is an African member of the crow family. It is most closely linked to Central Asian ground jays, according to current studies. It's a bit smaller and thinner than the European magpie (Pica pica), but its beak is a little broader. The bird's overall colouration is black, with feathers that are silky in texture and have a purple gloss in strong sunlight. The base of the tail is often darker brown than the rest of the body. On top of the bill, the nasal plumes are somewhat raised, yet they completely cover the nostrils. The species' range includes the tropical equatorial area of central Africa, from Senegal on the west coast to Sudan and southern Ethiopia in a broad swath. Within this range, it prefers more open territory with cultivated land, farms, and grazing, as well as minor connected towns and villages.

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5. Siberian Jay

The Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus) is a small jay that may be found across North Eurasia's coniferous woods.

It has grey-brown plumage with a lighter neck and a darker brown head. A panel at the wing-bend, the under tail coverts, and the sides of the tail are rusty-red. The sexes are similar. Although its habitat is fragmented, it is a common bird with a broad range, therefore the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified it as "least concern" for conservation.

The Siberian jay is the smallest of the western Palearctic corvids, weighing 75–90 g (2.6–3.2 oz) and about 30 centimetres (12 inches) in length. With a dark brown head, lighter forehead, and buff breast, the adult plumage is greyish brown. The rump is yellowish, with a grey chin and neck. The outer feathers have rufous streaking, while the beak and legs are black. To visually hide them from predators in their woodland environment, their overall colouration is quite unobtrusive. The plumage is also quite soft and fluffy, which helps to keep the bird warm in the winter. Each year, there is just one moult, which lasts from mid-June until mid-September.

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6. Pinyon Jay

The pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) is a medium-sized jay that is similar in size to the North American blue jay and the Eurasian jay. A rhythmic krawk-kraw-krawk repeated two or three times is characterised as the voice. Gymnorhinus is the sole species in the genus. It has nutcracker-like dimensions, which can be viewed as convergent evolution because both birds occupy comparable ecological niches. The pinyon jay is a bluish-grey bird with a brighter head and white neck, as well as a black beak, legs, and feet. The pinyon pine seed is their main source of food, although they also eat fruits and berries.

Many various species of insects are consumed and occasionally caught using their feet. Although the nest is always part of a colony, there is never more than one nest in a single tree. With a single nest in each tree, the colony may sometimes cover very large regions (usually juniper, live oak or pine). Quite early in the season, 3 - 4 eggs are generally deposited. In most cases, the incubation period is 16 days. The male bird brings food close to the nest, and the female flies to him to gather it and return it to the nest to feed the babies who fledge about three weeks later.

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7. Steller's Jay

The Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America, with a black head and upper body. It is closely related to the blue jay seen throughout the continent. Long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pine jay are some of its other names. It's sometimes known as a "blue jay" in the Pacific Northwest, although it's not the same as the eastern North American blue jay (C. cristata). Pine-oak and coniferous woods are home to this species. The Steller's jay is 30–34 cm (12–13 in) in length and weighs 100–140 g (3.5–4.9 oz). Throughout its range, the Steller's jay exhibits a considerable amount of regional diversity. Birds with blackish-brown heads in the north eventually turn bluer-headed as they migrate south. The Steller's jay has a considerably more prominent crest, a thin beak, and longer legs than the blue jay. It's also a little larger.

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8. Black-throated Magpie-jay

The black-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta colliei) is a long-tailed magpie-jay that may be found in northwestern Mexico. This species is 58.5 to 76.5 cm (23 to 30 inches) long, with the tail contributing for more than half of the length, and weighs 225-251 kilograms (8-9 oz.). Only a few corvids have a tail length comparable to the black-billed magpie, red-billed blue magpie, and closely related white-throated magpie-jay. The underparts are white and the upperparts are blue with white ends to the tail feathers. Except for a faint blue crescent over the eyes and a patch under the eye, the bill, legs, head, and large crest all are black. This species can be found in pairs or small groups in woodland and partially open areas on the Pacific Slope of Mexico, from southern Sonora to Jalisco and northwestern Colima. There were signs of population decrease as early as 1993.

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9. Tufted Jay

The tufted jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) belongs to the Corvidae family of birds, which includes crows and jays. It is only found in a tiny region of Sinaloa and Durango, Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental. It favours wet, epiphyte-rich subtropical montane forests, especially those with a high proportion of oaks.

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10. Beautiful Jay

The beautiful jay (Cyanolyca pulchra) belongs to the Corvidae family of birds, which includes crows and jays.

The azure-hooded jay is a close relative, and the two species are considered sister species. There are no subspecies in this species. Pulchra, the beautiful jay's scientific name, is derived from the Latin word for beautiful. It may be found in humid montane forest and cloud forest habitats in Colombia and Ecuador. It may also be found in secondary forest and clearings, though it is less frequent there. It is frequently associated with woodland watercourses and marshy regions. 

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The Fact of Jay Bird

• The Blue Jays aren't blue at all. In reality, their feathers are brown. The blue colouring is caused by light scattering in the structural parts of the feathers.

• The oldest known wild Blue Jay lived to be at least 17 years and 6 months old, nearly two years older than the oldest Northern Cardinal yet recorded.

• The Blue Jay is one of many birds that have been selected as team mascots. The most well-known club to use the bird as a mascot is the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.

• Blue Jays are omnivores, but they like vegetation, berries, acorns, and other similar foods.

• While they are well-known and sometimes feared for devouring the eggs of other birds, this is an uncommon occurrence.

• Blue Jays are believed to use its ability to mimic the cries of hawks such as the Red-shouldered Hawk as a warning or to deceive other species.

• The birds are widely spread over the eastern and central United States, but their range is slowly expanding into the Pacific Northwest.

Conclusion

Jays are a family of passerine birds that live in the New World. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is located east of the Rockies in North America. The Steller's jay takes its place westward (C. stelleri) The Eurasian jay may be found across the United Kingdom, except northern Scotland. There are now 170,000 breeding pairs in the. The majority of jays in Britain are stationary, but when there is a poor acorn harvest, birds from farther afield become irruptive. The Blue Jay is one of many birds that have been selected as team mascots. The oldest known wild Blue Jay lived to be at least 17 years and 6 months old, nearly two years older than the oldest Northern Cardinal yet recorded. They are omnivores, but like vegetation, berries, acorns, and other similar foods.