San Blas jay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Blas jay |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Cyanocorax
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| Species: |
sanblasianus
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The San Blas jay (Cyanocorax sanblasianus) is a type of bird that belongs to the Corvidae family. This family includes clever birds like crows, ravens, and other jays. This special bird lives only in Mexico, which means it is endemic to that country.
You can find the San Blas jay in warm, dry forests and other green areas. It is a common bird, and experts say it is not in danger of disappearing. The IUCN, a group that checks on animals, calls it a "least concern" species. This is good news for the San Blas jay!
What Does the San Blas Jay Look Like?
The San Blas jay is a medium-sized bird. It grows to be about 27 to 35 centimeters (11 to 14 inches) long. It usually weighs between 92 and 122 grams (3.2 to 4.3 ounces). Both male and female San Blas jays look very much alike.
Adult jays have bright blue feathers on their back, rump, wings, and tail. The rest of their body, like their head and belly, is black. They have a small crest of feathers on the front of their head. Their beak and legs are black, and their eyes are white. Young jays look similar, but they have a bigger crest, a yellow beak, and brown eyes.
Where Does the San Blas Jay Live?
This beautiful jay lives only in Mexico. There are two main groups, or subspecies, of the San Blas jay. One group, called C. s. nelsoni, lives in the southwestern parts of Mexico. You can find them in states like Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, and western Guerrero.
The other group, C. s. sanblasianus, lives along the coast of Guerrero. These birds like to live in dry or partly moist woodlands. They also enjoy thick bushes, groves of trees, and even areas with mangrove trees. However, you won't find the San Blas jay deep inside very dense forests.
How Do San Blas Jays Live and Eat?
San Blas jays are very social birds. They live together in small groups, sometimes with up to thirty birds. These groups can include six to ten pairs that are ready to have babies. They have a large area where they live, but they don't often interact with other groups of jays nearby.
These birds seem to stay with the same partner for a long time. Most San Blas jays start having babies when they are about three years old. They build their nests close together in trees, vines, or bushes. Often, they choose the tops of palm trees. Each nest is made of twigs and lined with soft plant material. The female usually lays up to four eggs, which have spots on them.
Sometimes, female jays that are not breeding will help sit on the eggs for short times. The eggs hatch after about eighteen days. Both parents take care of the young birds. Other jays in the group might also help feed the baby birds, especially after they learn to fly.
The San Blas jay eats many different things, which means it is an omnivorous bird. They look for food both on the ground and in the lower parts of trees. Their diet includes insects and other small creatures without backbones. They also eat fruits and small animals with backbones, like lizards. Sometimes, these jays have even been seen taking baby birds from the nests of other birds, like the ruddy ground dove.
