Green jay
| Green jay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A green jay in Texas | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Cyanocorax |
| Species: | C. yncas |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyanocorax yncas (Boddaert), 1783 | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Xanthoura luxuosa | |
The green jay (Cyanocorax yncas) is a bird species of the New World jays, and is found in both North and South America.
Description
Green jays are 25–29 cm (10–11.5 in). Weight ranges from 66 to 110 grams (2.3–3.9 oz).[2] They have feathers of yellowish-white with blue tips on the top of the head, cheeks and nape, though some taxa have more blue than others. The breast and underparts range from bright yellow in the south to pale green in the north (e.g., Texas). The upper parts are rich green. It has large nasal bristles that form a distinct tuft in some subspecies, but are less developed in others. The color of the iris ranges from dark brownish to bright yellow depending on the subspecies.
Taxonomy
Usually lumped with Inca jay (C. yncas yncas) of South America; Somewhat confusing in classification, the green jay is then used as the species name, even though the inca jay it is nominate subspecies. [3][4]
Behavior
Green jays feed on a wide range of insects and other invertebrates and various cereal grains. They take ebony (Ebenopsis spp.) seeds where these occur, and also any oak species' acorns, which they will cache. Meat and human scraps add to the diet when opportunity arises. Green jays have been observed using sticks as tools to extract insects from tree bark.[5]
Breeding
Green jays usually build a nest in a tree or in a thorny bush or thicket, and the female lays three to five eggs. Only the female incubates, but both parents take care of the young.[2]
Feeding
Their basic diet consists of arthropods, vertebrates, seeds, and fruit.
Voice
As with most of the typical jays, this species has a very extensive voice repertoire. The bird's most common call makes a rassh-rassh-rassh sound, but many other unusual notes also occur. One of the most distinctive calls sounds like an alarm bell.
Distribution and habitat
The green jay group occurs From southern Texas to Honduras. The inca jay subspecies then have a disjunct home range in the northern Andes in South America.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Cyanocorax luxosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Green Jay, Life History, All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-30.
- ↑ Ridgely, R. S.; & Greenfield, P. J. (2001). The Birds of Ecuador – Field Guide. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-8721-8
- ↑ Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02131-7
- ↑ "Tool use by Green Jays" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin 94 (4): 593–594. 1982.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyanocorax yncas. |
- green jay videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for Belize, Venezuela) (shows RangeMap)
- Green jay photo gallery VIREO