Jays
Jay Photo Gallery
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 actual 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.
Systematics and Species
See classification box for relevant genera links. The Crested Jay (Platylophus galericulatus) is traditionally placed here, but apparently this is not correct, as suggested by anatomical and molecular evidence. 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 grey jays of the genus Perisoreus form a group of their own. The Black Magpie, formerly believed to be related to jays, is actually a treepie.
Old World ("brown") jays
- Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius
- Lanceolated Jay, Garrulus lanceolatus
- Lidth's Jay, Garrulus lidthi
- Henderson's Ground Jay or Mongolian Ground-jay, Podoces hendersoni : Found in China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The bird is light tan with iridesent blue on its primary feathers. It has a long, curved beak and a black stripe on its forehead.
- Biddulph's Ground Jay or Xinjiang Ground-jay , Podoces biddulphi : Endemic to China. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Persian Ground Jay, Podoces pleskei : Endemic to Iran.
- Turkestan Ground-jay or Grey Ground Jay, Podoces panderi
- Piapiac, Ptilostomus afer
Grey jays
- Siberian Jay, Perisoreus infaustus
- Sichuan Jay, Perisoreus internigrans Endemic to China. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Gray Jay, or Whiskeyjack Perisoreus canadensis
American ("blue") jays
- Florida Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens
- Island Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma insularis
- Western Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica
- Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma ultramarina
- Unicolored Jay, Aphelocoma unicolor : Native to cloud forests of western Central America and southeastern Mexico, from western Honduras west to central Guerrero, southern Veracruz and extreme southern San Luis Potosi.
- Pinyon Jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
- Steller's Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri
- Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata
- Black-throated Magpie-jay, Calocitta colliei
- White-throated Magpie-jay, Calocitta formosa
- Tufted Jay, Cyanocorax dickeyi
- Black-chested Jay, Cyanocorax affinis: Found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela.
- Green Jay, Cyanocorax yncas
- Brown Jay, Cyanocorax morio
- Bushy-crested Jay, Cyanocorax melanocyaneus
- San Blas Jay, Cyanocorax sanblasianus
- Yucatan Jay, Cyanocorax yucatanicus
- Purplish-backed Jay, Cyanocorax beecheii
- Purplish Jay, Cyanocorax cyanomelas: Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
- Azure Jay, Cyanocorax caeruleus
- Violaceous Jay, Cyanocorax violaceus
- Curl-crested Jay, Cyanocorax cristatellus
- Azure-naped Jay, Cyanocorax heilprini: It is found in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
- Cayenne Jay, Cyanocorax cayanus
- Plush-crested Jay, Cyanocorax chrysops
- White-naped Jay, Cyanocorax cyanopogon: Endemic to Brazil.
- White-tailed Jay, Cyanocorax mystacalis
- Black-collared Jay, Cyanolyca armillata : Endemic to Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela
- Turquoise Jay, Cyanolyca turcosa
- White-collared Jay, Cyanolyca viridicyana: Found in Bolivia and Peru.
- Azure-hooded Jay, Cyanolyca cucullata
- Beautiful Jay, Cyanolyca pulchra
- Black-throated Jay, Cyanolyca pumilo : Found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
- Dwarf Jay, Cyanolyca nana: Endemic to Mexico.
- Silvery-throated Jay, Cyanolyca argentigula: Found in Costa Rica and Panama.
- White-throated Jay, Cyanolyca mirabilis: Endemic to Mexico.
See also treepies, magpies, nutcrackers and crows.
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