The jay is a very sensitive bird that hears everything first. Her sharp cries can warn all the inhabitants of the forest about the approach of large predators or humans.
In the forest, the jay bird becomes a real watchman and accompanies with sharp cries all movements of potentially dangerous objects.
The jay has an undoubted talent for imitating the voices of other birds and animals, as well as other various sounds. And very often in the deep forest you can hear the meowing of a domestic kitten - apparently, the jay has recently returned from human settlements.
Habitat and nature of stay of jays
Jays are widespread throughout Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, and the Caucasus. You can find this unusual bird in Siberia, China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea and Sakhalin. This bird does not occur naturally in Central Asia.
- Some populations of this bird are migratory, while others are sedentary. This dependence is typical not only for northern populations, but also for European territories.
- Throughout the autumn-winter season, jays wander through the forests. Autumn migration is observed from mid-September to mid-November. Spring migration occurs in March.
- Birds inhabit forests - deciduous, coniferous and mixed. The jay chick gives particular preference to oak groves and forests.
- In the south, the bird also nests among tall bushes. In addition to forests, jay chicks can live in old parks, deciduous or coniferous thickets.
Appearance
Jay is a forest bird that got its name from the Old Russian form of the verb “to shine”. The bird received this name for its bright plumage and lively, cheerful character.
It is extremely rare to see a jay chick in person. However, it can very often be heard and its presence can be recognized nearby by the very unpleasant sharp sounds that this bird can make. She is very timid and quickly flies from place to place, so you can only glimpse its bright blue feathers among the branches.
The bird's flight is maneuverable and not too fast However, this makes it very convenient for her to move short distances.
A jay chick rarely descends to the ground. It moves along the surface of the earth in short leaps. Basically, she prefers to move in the upper tier of trees. At night, the jay, like most birds, sleeps.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating season for these birds begins in the spring. When choosing a mate, the male begins to coo, make a lot of noise, and spread his crest in an effort to please the female.
The life expectancy of these birds is on average 6–7 years. The oldest jay recorded in the world lived 16 years.
This bird is very active. Attempts to tame her can become a very interesting and exciting activity and over time develop into real affection.
Eating a Mockingbird
The diet of these birds is very diverse and depends on the time of year. Mockingbirds consume both animal and plant food, which they obtain in trees and on the surface of the earth.
- In the warm season, jay chicks feed on insects - worms, spiders etc. This brings enormous benefits to the forest in terms of pest control.
- In addition to insects, birds are willing to eat mice, frogs or lizards.
- These robbers do not disdain other people’s nests, destroying them and eating them chicks and eggs.
- Mockingbirds prefer seeds, grains and berries from plant foods. In general, plant “products” make up the bulk of the diet of these birds. They love it very much acorns, hazelnuts, bird cherry and rowan berries.
These birds not only find food in the forest, but also make rich reserves for the winter, creating numerous storerooms. The bird digs shallow holes in the ground and hides cones and acorns, nuts and berries in them. Then she buries the holes with her paws and sprinkles leaves and blades of grass on top of them.
The jay finds secluded corners for its storerooms in cracks in the bark of trees, between roots or in the cracks of a dry stump. Birds try to save their supplies where there are as few mice as possible - in dry coniferous forests.
The bird carries nuts and acorns not one at a time, but 7 at a time. For this purpose, she has a special pouch under her tongue. For the winter, a thrifty bird can store up to 4 kilograms of supplies. In winter, these pantries will be useful not only for her - they are readily used by squirrels and other small animals that have gone hungry during the long winter. In turn, the jay can detect the squirrels' supplies and destroy them.
Those nuts or acorns that were lost by the bird can germinate in the most remote places from the oak groves. In this way, the seeds are distributed and enrich the forestry. This method is used to propagate not only oaks, but also hazel, bird cherry, and rowan. There are known cases of birds stealing small potatoes.
Features of behavior
All jays are most active during daylight hours. At night they sleep like most other birds. But in the daytime the bird is immersed in worries.
Having noticed an approaching large predator or a walking person, the jay will immediately notify everyone around with its sharp cry. She will move through the forest, accompanying an object that poses a danger. For this, the beautiful and bright bird was nicknamed forest guard. The timidity and caution of this bird brings undoubted benefits to itself and the surrounding living creatures.
The life of a little jay is full of various dangers, but its ability to hide will allow it to adapt to almost any environment.
With the advent of offspring, the lifestyle of this bird changes radically. At this time, the bird behaves as quietly and secretly as possible. And in the fall, when the young animals get stronger and gain strength, the parents will again become active and cheerful. Flocks of jays begin to migrate from one forest to another.
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The jay belongs to the corvid family and forms a separate species that lives in Eurasia. Bird forest and inhabits almost all of Europe, including the northern and central regions of Russia, Great Britain and Scandinavia. It lives in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, the western regions of Iran and northern Africa. Found in the Himalayas, it inhabits a vast region of Southeast Asia, as well as Japan, Korea, and Sakhalin. Representatives of the species also live in the Asian part of Russia. These are the Urals, the southern regions of Siberia and the Far East.
The length of the bird together with the tail reaches 30-40 cm. The wingspan is 50-55 cm. The wing length is 15-17 cm. The tail reaches a length of 12-15 cm. The body weight is 170-200 grams. There is a crest on the head. The rump is white, the tail is black. The plumage on the body is light brown. The wing coverts are blue with transverse black stripes.
The color of the feathers on the head varies depending on the region where it lives. In Asia, the predominant shade is light brown; in Europe, the plumage is light and diluted with brown streaks. The inhabitants of Asia Minor and the Caucasus have a dark head, rather even black. Black stripes run from the beak to the neck. The beak is also black. Legs are reddish brown. The throat is light, almost white. In a word, the jay looks very beautiful. Its flight is slow, and its wings have a rounded shape.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating season for this bird begins at the very beginning of spring. The female and male form a pair and immediately begin building a nest. For this purpose, darkened areas of the forest are selected. The nest is located on both coniferous and deciduous trees. It is done on the side branches. The height from the ground is usually 2-5 meters. The outer frame is woven from tree branches, and last year's grass is laid on the inside. It turns out to be a small bowl. Its bottom is lined with grass and feathers. The diameter of the nest reaches 20-30 cm. The depth reaches 15 cm.
There are 5-8 eggs in a clutch. Incubation lasts two and a half weeks. Chicks are born in mid-May. They are fed by their parents for a month. At the end of June they begin to fly. But the family does not break up until the end of August. Only at the beginning of autumn do young people begin to live independently. She gathers in groups and looks for permanent habitats for herself. The jay lives in the wild for 5-7 years. The maximum life expectancy is 20-22 years.
Behavior and nutrition
This species does not migrate to warm countries in winter. In the southern regions it leads a sedentary lifestyle. Inhabitants of colder areas try to stick to their feeding territories all year round and move only in case of lack of food. Therefore, migrations are not regular. Usually, with the appearance of snow cover, birds forage not only in the forest, but also fly out into the open area. They are even approaching populated areas.
But it should be noted that the jay, under any circumstances, remains an inhabitant of the forest. She spends most of her life in it. The diet includes plant foods, insects, as well as frogs, lizards, and eggs of small birds. The bird attacks chicks, as well as young songbirds that have just fledged. Representatives of the species are very smart. To reach caterpillars hiding in tree trunks, they stick their beaks under the bark and break off pieces. This is how they get to the insects. They collect acorns and hide them in reserve. True, sometimes these reserves are found
The common jay is a bird of the corvid family, which forms a separate species. The distribution area of this species is very wide.
These birds live throughout Europe, including the northern regions of Russia, Scandinavia, England, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, northern Iran and Africa, as well as Crimea. The jay can be found in the Far East, the Urals, Japan, Korea and China.
Appearance of a jay
The jay is similar in size to a jackdaw. The body length is 30-40 cm along with a long tail, which will grow to a size of 12-15 cm.
The wingspan is 50-55 cm, the wing length is from 15 to 17 cm. The weight of the bird is small and ranges from 170 to 200 grams. The jay has a wide crest on its head. The feathers above the tail are white, the beak, wings, and tail are black. The color of the plumage is rusty brown, and the feathers on the shoulders are bright blue with narrow black stripes.
Depending on its habitat, this species has different colored feathers on its head. Birds living in Europe have light feathers on their heads with mottled brown patches. Asian jays, for the most part, have light brown feathers; those living in the Caucasus and Asia Minor have a black head. Wide black stripes extend from the beak to the neck. The bird's paws are red-brown, the throat is a very light shade. The jay's wings are rounded and their flight is slow.
The jay is a bird with elaborate plumage. The bird looks very bright and beautiful in its outfit. However, it is not so easy to see it, because jays are very shy birds.
Jay behavior and nutrition
During the cold winter period, jays do not migrate to countries with warm climates. Birds living in the south do not fly anywhere and live in the same territory. Those living in the northern regions try not to move away from their usual habitats unless absolutely necessary. They fly away from their homes only in case of crop failure. It turns out that jays' migrations are irregular.
Listen to the voice of the jay
In winter, when snow cover prevents them from obtaining food, these birds move out of the forest into more open areas and appear near people’s homes.
However, the jay was and remains a forest dweller; it is in the forest that it spends its entire life. This species feeds on both plant and animal foods. These can be seeds, berries, insects, lizards, frogs, eggs of smaller birds. Representatives of this species can attack small rodents, chicks and young songbirds that have recently learned to fly.
Jays are birds that do not migrate seasonally. The jay is a very smart bird. She makes supplies: she collects and hides acorns. The bird can store up to 4 kg of acorns. In order to feast on a caterpillar located under the bark of a tree, the bird inserts its beak under the bark and breaks it. Also works to catch hiding insects. Other ubiquitous birds often find jay supplies and eat them.
Reproduction and lifespan
In early spring, jays begin their nesting period. Pairs form and the birds begin building a nest. To do this, cautious birds choose quiet, dark places in the forest. Jays nest on both deciduous trees and conifers.
The jay bird is a very cautious creature. These birds build their nests on side branches, at a height of 2-5 meters above the ground. The outer base is made of branches and covered with last year's grass. In appearance, the nest resembles a bowl with a diameter of 20-30 cm and a depth of about 15 cm. The bottom of the structure is lined with feathers, wool and blades of grass. Sometimes it happens that a suitable hollow is chosen to construct a jay’s nest.
The female lays from 5 to 7 eggs and incubates them for 16-17 days. In mid-May, offspring are born. Parents feed the chicks for about 20 days and at the end of June the young jays begin to fly. The brood stays with its parents until the beginning of autumn, when the young birds begin to live independently. The grown chicks, huddled in flocks, are looking for a permanent habitat. Typically, in the wild, a jay can live 5-7 years, although the maximum age to which representatives of this species lived was 22 years.
The jay bird is distinguished by its bright festive plumage. This creature has excellent adaptability, therefore, as a rule, it does not go on long migrations, but survives cold winters in northern latitudes, hiding from bad weather under the canopy of trees. This bird is an omnivore, and often attacks small feathered fellow birds, including tits and sparrows. These birds received their unusual name back in ancient times. It is believed that it comes from the word “shine”, due to its very bright and motley plumage.
The jay bird is distinguished by its bright festive plumage
Considering that a distant relative of the jay, the jay, the jay, has similar features of body structure and plumage color, people often confuse these species. However, they also have some characteristic differences. If you figure out what a jay looks like sitting on a tree or in flight, and know its description, you won’t be able to confuse it with another bird in the future. Currently, this species of birds is increasingly attracting the attention of ornithologists, as they exhibit remarkable mental abilities, although they cannot imitate sounds as well as parrots do.
This bird is an omnivore, and often attacks small feathered fellow birds, including tits and sparrows.
These birds are rarely larger in size than the less colorful and memorable jackdaws. The length of the jay's body from beak to tail can reach approximately 40 cm. The jay's feather is small and smooth. The wingspan is quite large and is usually about 50 cm. A jay sitting on a branch looks smaller than when flying. The weight of the bird is relatively small and ranges from 170 to 200 g. The legs are long. Tenacious fingers crowned with small claws allow the bird to cling to branches more easily. The head is quite large. The beak of this bird species is short and pointed at the end. The upper beak is much larger than the lower one.
The decorated jay attracts attention with its bright plumage. Its back, chest, abdomen and upper part of the wings are covered with rusty-brown feathers. The crest on the head, as well as the tail and tips of the wings, are distinguished by their black color. In addition, the birds have bright blue feathers on their forearms. Black stripes run along them, which only creates additional contrast. In addition, there are large white spots on the wings. The rump of the bird is also light beige in color. There are black stripes on the throat running down the sides. Young birds have a shorter tail, and the plumage has a richer red color.
One of the characteristics of adult jays is the presence of light blue eyes. In young individuals they are usually dark brown in color. The reasons for the change in iris pigmentation in jays are currently unknown, but it is believed that this is a possible signal to other members of the species that the bird is ready to reproduce and may become a mating partner. These feathered creatures are distinguished by their increased ability to imitate sounds made by other birds. This is why the jay is a mockingbird bird. There are often cases when this feathered creature living among people tried to imitate some words they liked. However, such sounds are quite vague, so they cannot be compared with the words that can be pronounced by parrots.
Jay bird (video)
Gallery: jay bird (25 photos)
Distribution area of the jay
These birds are common in nature. Thanks to their increased timidity, high intelligence and adaptive abilities, tar jays can spread throughout Europe. Their large populations are observed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, Portugal, and France. Among other things, the habitat of these unique birds extends over almost the entire territory of China and Korea. In addition, these birds also inhabit the territory of northern Iran. Despite the fact that these birds are mostly continental, they are also found on the islands. For example, there is a species living on Sakhalin.
Southern Siberia has its own variety of jays, which differ in plumage color. This is a migratory species. In fact, birds try to settle in forest or forest-steppe zones. These birds try to avoid steppe and desert areas, since here they would receive less food and would be more susceptible to attacks by predators.
Behavior and nutrition of jays in their natural environment
From the northern regions, these birds migrate annually from more southern latitudes. This allows them to avoid severe frosts. Jays living in the center and south of Eurasia usually lead a sedentary lifestyle. Throughout the summer, they try to stay as far as possible from human settlements, preferring forests and bush groves. In addition, during this period they can find enough food in their natural environment. For the winter, jays migrate to gardens and cities. Here they can find more food.
It is worth noting that jays are smart creatures. They are stocking up. Often during the autumn period, a jay can accumulate up to 4 kg of acorns. Nature can also provide other sources of food for birds, for example, pine nuts. That is why large populations of these feathered creatures live in places where there are oaks and cedars. It is well known what the jay eats.
At different times of the year, her diet may include:
- cereal seeds;
- nut pulp;
- insects of all kinds;
- snails;
- shellfish;
- frogs;
- small rodents;
- lizards
- small birds;
- chicks.
Birds usually feed actively throughout the spring and summer, which allows them to accumulate fat. However, already at the beginning of autumn, the birds switch to preparing reserves. Usually, if they are available in abundance, they hide acorns or nuts in rotten stumps or hollows. One jay can make many caches, but at the same time there is nothing terrible for it to rob its neighbor. There is evidence that some jays try to stockpile certain crops. For example, they often steal small potatoes, carrots and even beets. They peck at frozen root vegetables when cold weather sets in and finding food becomes difficult. It has been revealed that urban jays extremely rarely stock up for the winter.
During this unfavorable period, they try to feed themselves in man-made feeders, as well as in garbage dumps. Jays have adapted to steal nuts and some foods stored on balconies. Thus, despite their natural timidity, these creatures are distinguished by a certain ability to take risks. In some areas, hunters deliberately shoot jays, believing that they cause too much harm by stealing the eggs and chicks of other bird species. However, the benefits of these feathered creatures far outweigh the harm. Jays are very voracious, so during the summer season they can destroy many insects, which are natural pests of forests and gardens, and in addition, regulate the number of rodents. The jay also has enemies - it is often attacked by hawks, eagle owls, crows and even martens.
Many jays can stomp on the top of an anthill for a long time to get rid of blood-sucking insects that have infested the feather cover. Some individuals of these birds undergo similar procedures even for preventive purposes. In winter, during bad weather, jays often gather in small flocks under the spreading branches of spruce or other coniferous trees. This allows the birds to lose less heat.
Jay's nest and its chicks (video)
The breeding season of jays
In early spring, these birds begin searching for partners. Usually at this time jays try to move to live in dense forest thickets along the banks of rivers and lakes. Here they gather in flocks, begin to scream loudly and start battles. The process may take about a week. Next, the resulting couple immediately begins to search for a suitable place. The jay's nest is usually located on a very strong branch or in a branching area of trees.
The nest has the shape of a shallow bowl. Its outer contour is made of fairly rough branches, and the inner surface is lined with soft grass and leaves. After this, the female begins to lay eggs. There may be from 4 to 7 of them in a nest.
The eggs have a light green or yellowish-brown shell. Next, a pair of jays take turns incubating them. The incubation process, depending on weather conditions, can take from 15 to 17 days. Any jay chick is characterized by increased gluttony. Parents are forced to search for food all day long in order to feed their vocal offspring.
In years when there are not too many insects, some of the chicks die from hunger. With enough food, the young grow quickly and become stronger. Usually in this case, after 20 days they change their plumage to adult plumage and begin to fly out of the nest. However, the chicks become partially independent. They are under the care of their parents until the fall.
First, chicks should feed exclusively on caterpillars and beetles, since they require a lot of protein to form a skeleton and muscle frame. After feathering and the beginning of independent flights, they switch to plant foods.
Attention, TODAY only!
Jays are typical forest birds, as well as rarer representatives of the corvid family - nutcrackers, kuksha, and choughs. Jays are found throughout almost all of Europe, the Caucasus and Northern Iran, North Africa and Asia Minor, the southern half of Siberia, Sakhalin, Korea, Manchuria, northern Mongolia, China and Japan.
Jays are quite noisy birds and at the same time sensitive and cautious. They pick up any unusual sounds, notice every alien and immediately, with their loud and not very pleasant cry, notify the forest inhabitants of possible danger. In terms of vigilance, they are not inferior to magpies. However, having noticed a magpie, they also signal this to other birds and animals. They also react to the appearance of squirrels, crows, and birds of prey nearby - after all, they all raid their nests. True, jays are not always noisy. Once their nesting period begins, they become very secretive and silent. Here all their behavior is subordinated to the all-encompassing instinct of caring for the offspring.
Jay nests They are installed in mixed and coniferous forests, strengthening them on large branches near the tree trunk. Both spouses - the female and the male - build the nest, alternately bringing and laying building materials. On the question of who incubates the eggs of jays, the opinions of ornithologists differ: some believe that one female incubates, while others claim that both the male and the female incubate in turn. Some ornithologists believe that if jays are disturbed, they can move their chicks to another, quieter place. Jays most often nest in forests with undergrowth and in bushes. Recently, they have begun to nest here and there in cities. In the first days of the jay, the chicks are fed caterpillars - the male brings them, and the female then passes them on to the children. Later, other insects and their larvae are eaten.
In the warm season, adult jays feed on insects, exterminating many pests such as chafers, longhorned beetles, weevils, various leaf beetles, and silkworm caterpillars. They do not disdain spiders, mollusks, earthworms, lizards and frogs. It happens that they commit robbery: they catch small birds, destroy their nests, eat chicks and eggs. Jays eat berries and fruits of rowan, bird cherry, and raspberry. Don't give up hazel nuts. In autumn and winter, the main food of jays is acorns. They collect them in reserve, arranging storerooms.
Every autumn, jays jump under oak trees, pick up acorns on the ground or pick them straight from the branches and fly to hide them. Moreover, they transfer not one acorn at a time, but 5-7 pieces at a time, placing them in a special sublingual pouch. Stealthily, so that no one sees, jays hide acorns in small piles at the base of stumps, tree trunks, under fallen leaves, and moss. They most often set up storage rooms in a spruce or pine forest - there are fewer mice there. The total number of acorns stored by jays can reach 4 kg. Acorns forgotten or lost by jays sprout, and young oak trees appear in different places, far from oak groves. By spreading the seeds of oak, hazel, rowan, raspberry, bird cherry and destroying harmful insects, jays benefit forestry. In Bashkiria, stocks of hazel nuts were found in empty bird nests on hazel bushes.
In some places, jays show a penchant for potatoes. In the fall, when potatoes begin to be dug in the fields and vegetable gardens, jays appear from the forest and carry tubers. It happens that they fly to houses and steal from the ready-made pile. One forester in the Chelyabinsk region scattered dug up potatoes right under the windows of the hut to dry. The jays found out about this and began to fly here in dozens for prey. At first, the thieving bird strolls with an innocent look near the potatoes, takes a closer look, and then grabs the potato in its beak and flies into the forest. Having hidden the prey, the jays returned to the hut again. The forester's attempts to drive away the impudent thieves were unsuccessful. He had to hurry to remove the potatoes into the prepared hole.
In autumn and winter, jays appear near forest villages. Sometimes they fly into forested areas of cities. They were seen more than once in Leningrad, in the park of the Forestry Academy.
