San Blas jay | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Corvidae |
Genus: | Cyanocorax |
Species: | C. sanblasianus |
Binomial name | |
Cyanocorax sanblasianus (Lafresnaye, 1842) | |
The San Blas jay (Cyanocorax sanblasianus) is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests; it is a common species and has been rated as "least concern" by the IUCN. [1]
The adult San Blas jay is between 27 and 35 cm (11 and 14 in) long and weighs between 92 and 122 g (3 and 4 oz). The sexes are similar; the adult has back, rump, wings and tail blue and the remaining plumage black. There is a small crest on the front of the head, the bill is black, the irises are white and the legs are black. The juveniles are similar apart from a larger crest, a yellow bill and brown eyes. [2]
This jay is endemic to Mexico. There are two subspecies; C. s. nelsoni is found in southwestern Mexico, from Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima southward to western Guerrero; and C. s. sanblasianus is found in the coastal region of Guerrero. The habitat includes dry and semi-moist woodland, thickets, groves and plantations as well as mangrove areas. This bird is not found deep in the forest. [2] [3]
The species is social, living in small groups of up to thirty individuals including six to ten breeding pairs. These occupy a large territory but have little interaction with neighbouring groups. The birds seem to have stable pair bonds and most start breeding at three years old. The nests are grouped socially in trees, vines or shrubs, often in the crowns of palm trees. Each is constructed of twigs and lined with soft plant material, and a clutch of up to four mottled eggs is laid. Non-breeding females sometimes take short turns at incubation, which takes about eighteen days. Both parents care for the young, and several birds may help feed the chicks, especially after they have fledged. [4] [5]
The San Blas jay is omnivorous, the birds feeding both on the ground and in the lower parts of trees. The diet consists of insects and other invertebrates, fruit and small vertebrates such as lizards. [5] This bird has been observed taking nestlings from the nest of a ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti). [6]
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family, or, in jargon, corvids. Currently 133 species are included in this family. The genus Corvus, including the jackdaws, crows, rooks, and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family. Corvids are the largest passerines.
The blue jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also in Newfoundland, Canada; breeding populations are found across southern Canada. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common in residential areas. Its coloration is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest; it has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year. Four subspecies have been recognized.
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The purplish-backed jay is a bird of the crow family Corvidae, with purple feathers on its back, wings and tail, and black feathers elsewhere. It is endemic to northwestern Mexico where its habitat is mainly dry deciduous forest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a "species of least concern".
The black-throated magpie-jay is a strikingly long-tailed magpie-jay of northwestern Mexico.
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The short-crested coquette is a Critically Endangered species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to a small area of Mexico.
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The Yucatan jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and their allies. It is native to the Yucatán Peninsula where its habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, plantations and cleared areas at altitudes up to 250 m (820 ft). Adults are about 30 cm (12 in) long, black, with blue wings, mantle, and tail, black bills, yellow eye rings and legs. Immature birds have yellow bills. 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".
The silvery-throated jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is found in the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. The IUCN has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The turquoise jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae.
The orange-breasted bunting is a species of passerine bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. With its wide range and large total population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers it as being of "least concern".
The rufous-backed thrush is a songbird of the thrush family. It is endemic to the Pacific slope of Mexico. It is also known as the rufous-backed robin.
The Sinaloan dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in western Mexico. It is the northernmost ecoregion of the Neotropical realm.
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