Bushy-crested jay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bushy-crested jay |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cyanocorax
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| Species: |
melanocyaneus
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| Synonyms | |
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Xanthura melanocyanea |
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The bushy-crested jay is a beautiful bird from the jay family, called Corvidae. You can find it in Central America. These birds love to live in warm, wet mountain forests. They can also live in areas where forests have changed a lot. There are two main types, or subspecies, of the bushy-crested jay. One lives in Guatemala and southern El Salvador. The other lives in Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua.
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What Does the Bushy-Crested Jay Look Like?
An adult bushy-crested jay is about 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) long. That's about the length of a ruler! They have a long tail with feathers that get shorter towards the middle. Both male and female jays look the same.
Their head, neck, chest, and upper back are black. The rest of their upper body is a dark blue. This blue can sometimes look green or violet in the light. Their belly is a plain greenish-blue. The underside of their wings is grey, and their tail is black underneath.
One cool feature is the stubble-like feathers on their head. They can stand up, making a small "bushy" crest. Their beak is black and quite small. Their eyes, called irises, are yellow, and their legs are black.
Where Do Bushy-Crested Jays Live?
This type of jay lives in Central America. You can find them in countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They usually live in places that are between 600 and 2,450 m (2,000 and 8,000 ft) high.
They prefer humid forests, especially those with pine and oak trees. You might also see them at the edges of forests or in open areas with bushes. These jays are very good at adapting to changes in their home. They have become common in coffee farms and around farmland.
How Do Bushy-Crested Jays Live?
Bushy-crested jays are very social birds. They live and travel in small groups. These groups often look for food in the lower parts of trees. They also search through the leaves on the ground.
Their diet includes small insects and other invertebrates. They also eat seeds, nuts, and fruits.
Nests and Families
These jays build their nests in thick bushes. They use twigs to make the main part of the nest. Then, they line it with soft plant fibers. A female jay usually lays three or four eggs. This happens in late April or early May.
What's really special about these birds is how they raise their young. More than one female might help incubate the eggs. Many different birds also help feed the baby jays. In one nest, eleven different adult jays helped feed the chicks. Even some younger jays from earlier broods helped out! This shows they are very cooperative.
Are Bushy-Crested Jays Safe?
The bushy-crested jay seems to be a very adaptable bird. It can handle changes to its natural home. They are even moving into human-made places like coffee farms and crop fields.
They live in a wide area, and their numbers are thought to be growing. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says they are a species of least concern. This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
