Jay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Jay (disambiguation).
Jays
Blue Jay
Blue Jay
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genera

The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian Magpie seems more closely related to the Eurasian Jay than to the Oriental Blue and Green Magpies, whereas the Blue Jay is not closely related to either.

Contents

[edit] Systematics and species

See classification box for relevant genera links. Traditionally, the Crested Jay (Platylophus galericulatus) is placed here, but apparently this is not correct, as suggested by anatomical and molecular evidence[citation needed]. Its placement remains unresolved; it does not seem to be a corvid at all. It should be noted that according to the research of Ericson et al. (2005), jays are not a monophyletic group. Rather, they can be divided into an American and an Old World lineage (the latter including the ground jays and the Piapiac), while the gray jays of the genus Perisoreus form a group of their own. The Black Magpie, formerly believed to be related to jays, is classified as a treepie.

Old World ("brown") jays

Grey jays

American ("blue") jays

Also see treepies, magpies, nutcrackers, and crows.

[edit] Jays in culture

[edit] Slang

The word "jay" has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning an impertinent person.

The term jaywalking was coined in 1915 to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard. [1] Eventually the behavior became defined as illegal in many communities in the USA. Eventually, traffic control regulations were introduced that would levy a fine against pedestrians who were not using the delineated crosswalks marked on streets, but rather, cutting across traffic where they pleased. A public relations campaign began in the 1950s as the new regulations were introduced in Manhattan and many communities across the country instituted similar laws. Rarely is the regulation exercised.

The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavior as the convention became established. ("jay-walker". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.).

[edit] Organizational symbols

[edit] References

  • Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. Journal of Avian Biology 36: 222-234. PDF fulltext

[edit] External links