Bright blue eyeliner and equally stylized blue sideburns make these big jays stand out a little more in their pale yellow and black outfits.
Meet the chic Jay Crested
Image provided by kuhnmi / CC BY 2.0
The luxurious crested jay (Cyanocorax chrysops) is an elegant medium-sized bird with black underparts, chin, throat, sides of the neck and chest. The rest of the underparts range in color from creamy white to pale yellow. The lower part of the tail has straight cream to pale yellow lines and a dark base. His forehead has stiff feathers, which gradually transition to softer feathers on the top of his head, in the process forming a velvet-like crest. His forehead, crown, and sides of his head are black with super bright crescents above his eyes. There is another similarly colored spot below the eye towards the back, merging into a blue-green malar stripe forming a V shape. The nape is a light pale blue combined with pure blue deeper on the neck . The beak is black, the eyes are yellow and the legs and feet are black.
Image provided by cuatrok77 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Both sexes look very lively.
Young birds have a duller nape, and their faces only appear after the first month.
Image courtesy of Trisha Shears / CC BY-SA 2.0
These birds are found in south-central South America in the southwestern countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.
Image provided by cuatrok77 / CC BY-SA 2.0
The possum-crested Jay frequents dense forests and trees, ranging from typical lowland evergreen forests and tropical deciduous forests to temperate rainforests. It is usually seen at altitudes up to 1500 meters, but it can occur as high as 2800 meters in Bolivia.
Image courtesy of Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0
The plush crested Jay feeds mainly on small invertebrates, mostly insects. However, they will take fruit from certain plant species such as Ficus and Phylodendrum, Casearia and Syagros, as well as Psidium and Rapanea. Young birds and eggs of other birds, frogs, seeds and corn are also taken when the opportunity arises.
Image provided by Osbornb / CC BY 2.0
These birds sometimes cooperate when breeding, with two to three young from the previous season helping with nesting duties and territorial defense. A cup-shaped nest made from twigs, lined with smaller twigs and plant fibers is built about 4 to 7 meters above the ground in thick foliage. 2 to 4 speckled eggs are laid inside and incubated for 18-20 days. She is fed by her partner and the chicks are born 22-24 days after hatching.
Image courtesy of Eric Gropp / CC BY 2.0
The Crested Jay is threatened by deforestation, but fortunately this species can live in isolated forest patches of 10-20 hectares, if larger forests are not too far away.
Image courtesy of Murray Foubister / CC BY-SA 2.0
You can see and hear this bird right in the video below:
