Plush-crested Jays
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Scientific name: Cyanocorax chrysops
Family: Corvidae
Order: Passireformes
Class: Aves
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Plush-crested Jays are 35.5 cm (14 in) in length. The crown feathers are stiff and plush-like extending to the rear as a short crest. The head, sides of the neck, throat, and breast are black. There is a spot above the birds eye that is bright silvery blue. A spot below the eye and its short moustache are deep blue. The band that is located behind the neck of the bird is milky bluish white becoming violet blue on the upper back. The lower breast and belly are creamy white. The wings and tail of the Plush-crested Jay are deep blue in color, and its tail is broadly tipped white.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
This particular bird can be found in many parts of South America. In northern Argentina, it is found in Salta, Tucuman, also possibly in La Rioja eastward to Formosa, Chaco to Misiones, and Corrientes to Entre Rios. It can also be seen in Paraguay and Uruguay. Plush-crested Jays can also be spotted in the northern and eastern parts of Bolivia (west to Beni and Cochabamba), Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, and Tarija. In Brazil, this bird is seen south of the Amazon River from the east bank of Rio Madeira, east to upper Tapajos in southeast Para. Plush-crested Jays inhabit forests and woodland areas. This bird also occasionally ventures out into scrubs or groves, in agricultural areas.
BEHAVIOR:
Plush-crested Jays range in groups of up to 10 or 12 individuals. They are also usually accompanied by the larger-bodied Purplish Jay when they feed. The Plush-crested Jay forages actively, hopping and peering about on branches and in foliage. These birds have a very loud and arresting call, which serves to draw attention to the birds. The most frequently used call is a ringing cho-cho-cho. They also have the ability to sometimes mimic other birds. Plush-crested Jays are also very sociable and are not at all shy.
DIET:
No information.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
No information.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Plush-crested Jays are listed as threatened and endangered by CITES.
Wild Population:
Suggested Reading:
The Birds of South America, Ridgely, Robert S., and Tudor, Guy, University of Texas Press, Austin 1989.
Species of Birds of South America w/ Their Distribution, Meyer De Schauensee, Rodolphe, Livingston Publishing Comp, Wynnewood 1966.
The Birds of South America, Meyer De Schauensee, Rodolphe, Livingston Publishing Comp, Wynnewood 1970.
(Mahalo to Leeward Community College's Zoology 101 Class for their contribution)
