The green jay (Cyanocorax luxuosus) is a species of the New World jays, found in Central America, Mexico, and South Texas. Adults are about 27 cm (11 in) long and variable in color across their range; they usually have blue and black heads, green wings and mantle, bluish-green tails, black bills, yellow or brown eye rings, and dark legs. The basic diet consists of arthropods, vertebrates, seeds, and fruit. The nest is usually built in a thorny bush; the female incubates the clutch of three to five eggs. This is a common species of jay with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
| Green jay | |
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| Cyanocorax luxuosus glaucescens in Mission, Texas; note the greenish underparts and dark eye | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Cyanocorax |
| Species: | C. luxuosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Cyanocorax luxuosus (Lesson, R. P., 1839)
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Taxonomy
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Seven subspecies are accepted; listed from north to south:[2]
- Cyanocorax luxuosus glaucescens – Southern Texas, northeast Mexico
- Cyanocorax luxuosus luxuosus – East-central Mexico
- Cyanocorax luxuosus speciosus – Western Mexico
- Cyanocorax luxuosus vividus – Southwestern Mexico
- Cyanocorax luxuosus maya – Yucatan Peninsula
- Cyanocorax luxuosus confusus – Southeastern Mexico to western Guatemala
- Cyanocorax luxuosus centralis – Honduras
It differs from the related Inca jay of the Andes most obviously in lacking the large nasal bristles that form a distinct tuft at the base of the bill in that species, and also tends to show more blue on the rear crown.[3] Despite its separation from the Inca jay by a 1,600 km range gap, some ornithologists treat the green jay and Inca jay as conspecific, with the green jay as C. yncas luxuosus and the Inca jay as C. yncas yncas.[4][5]
Description
editGreen jays are 25–29 cm (9.8–11.4 in) in length. Weight ranges from 66 to 110 grams (2.3 to 3.9 oz).[6] They have feathers of yellowish-white with blue tips on the top of the head, cheeks and nape. The breast and underparts range from bright yellow in the south (e.g. C. l. maya in the Yucatan) to pale green in the north (e.g. C. l. glaucescens in Texas). The upper parts are rich green. The color of the iris depends on the subspecies, ranging from dark brownish in the north to bright yellow in the south.
Behavior
editGreen jays feed on a wide range of insects and other invertebrates and various cereal grains. They take ebony (Ebenopsis spp.) seeds where these occur, and also any oak species' acorns, which they will cache. Meat and human scraps add to the diet when opportunity arises. Green jays have been observed using sticks as tools to extract insects from tree bark.[7]
Breeding
editGreen jays usually build a nest in a tree or in a thorny bush or thicket, and the female lays three to five eggs. Only the female incubates, but both parents take care of the young.[6]
Voice
editAs with most of the typical jays, this species has a very extensive voice repertoire. The bird's most common call makes a rassh-rassh-rassh sound, but many other unusual notes also occur. One of the most distinctive calls sounds like an alarm bell.
Distribution and habitat
editThe green jay occurs from southern Texas to Honduras. The similar Inca jay has a disjunct home range in the northern Andes of South America.
Status
editThe green jay is a common species throughout most of its wide range. It is an adaptable species and the population is thought to be increasing as clearing of forests is creating new areas of suitable habitat. No particular threats have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
References
edit- ^ a b BirdLife International (2012). "Cyanocorax luxosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Crows, mudnesters, birds-of-paradise". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ del Hoyo, Josep (2020). All the birds of the world. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. p. 561. ISBN 978-84-16728-37-4.
- ^ dos Anjos, L. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Dickinson, E.C.; Christidis, L., eds. (2014). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2: Passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. pp. 240–241. ISBN 978-0-9568611-2-2.
- ^ a b "Green jay". All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ Gayou, Douglas C. (1982). "General Notes: Tool use by Green Jays" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 94 (4): 593–594.
External links
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- Green jay stamps[usurped] from Belize and Venezuela at bird-stamps.org[usurped]
- BirdLife species factsheet for Cyanocorax yncas
- "Cyanocorax yncas". Avibase.
- "Green jay media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Green jay photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Green jay species account at Neotropical Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Interactive range map of Cyanocorax yncas at IUCN Red List maps
- Audio recordings of Green jay on Xeno-canto.
- Cyanocorax yncas in Field Guide: Birds of the World on Flickr
