What is the difference between a male jay and a female. The Mockingjay is a curious and noisy bird. Jay with chicks in the nest
Detachment - passeriformes
Genus/Species - Garrulus glandarius. common jay
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 34 cm
Weight: 140-190
BREEDING
Puberty: from 1 year.
Nesting period: April June.
Carrying: usually one.
Number of eggs: 4-7.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: wary, shy bird.
Food: worms, insects, rodents, acorns, nuts, berries, eggs and chicks of other birds.
Lifespan: the age of the oldest bird was 16 years.
RELATED SPECIES
Or a walnut.
Jay teases the cat. Video (00:00:41)
Jay is a bird with beautiful plumage. On the black wings there are bright, black-blue "mirrors" and white spots. A small crest is noticeable on the head of an alarmed bird. This bird is often found in Europe.
WHAT JAY FEEDS
Depending on the season, the jay bird searches for food on the ground or in trees. On the surface of the earth, she is looking for spiders, worms and small rodents. On trees, the bird willingly eats acorns, nuts, as well as eggs and even chicks of other birds.
In autumn, the main food of the jay is acorns. Each bird annually collects several thousand acorns, some of them carefully buried in the ground. Jays hide acorns in the soil shallowly. They dig a small hole with their paws, put an acorn in it and cover it with earth, twigs and leaves. Jays also make supplies of nuts, beech cones and berries.
In spring and summer, birds feed on insects: beetles, barbel beetles, weevils, leaf cutters. From small animals, jays eat rodents, lizards, frogs, small birds, also feasting on their eggs.
LIFESTYLE
The nesting period for jays lasts from April to June and is accompanied by a complex ritual. With the onset of the first spring days, they create pairs and soon begin to build nests. The nest is usually built on the territory of a small area, which the birds protect from other representatives of the species. They have inhabited this area for several years. Birds together build a small flat nest well hidden among the branches of a tree. It is located near the trunk. The nest consists of twigs and stalks of grass and is lined with dry grass.
At the end of April, the female lays 4 to 7 pale greenish or yellowish eggs with brown spots. They are incubated by the male and female in turn. The chicks hatch after 16-17 days. They stay in the nest for 19-20 days, and then fly with their parents or join in large flocks with other jays.
JAY OBSERVATIONS
Jays live in mixed, deciduous and coniferous forests, and in open spaces only where there are plenty of trees that grow separately. They can be found near cities, but always only in those places where there are trees, especially oaks. In a dense forest, the presence of a jay is evidenced by loud cries of "ra-ah-rra-ah." It is difficult to confuse it with other birds, thanks to the characteristic color of the feathers and the black and blue "mirror". The jay is a very shy bird, so you can usually see only its tail when it is already flying away.
- Many hunters shoot jays at every opportunity, as they are considered pests that eat the chicks and eggs of birds nesting on the ground.
- The jay imitates various sounds very well. Her repertoire includes dog barking, goat bleating, etc.
- Jays also find their reserves in winter, often under a layer of snow or leaves. The acorns they don't find grow into trees, which is why the jays are said to "plant forests."
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE JAY. WHAT THE JAY BIRD LOOKS LIKE. PHOTO AND DESCRIPTION
Flight: in flight, white integumentary feathers of the tail and white spots on the wings become visible.
Head: the feathers on the crown are white with black stripes; in case of alarm, a small crest appears.
Beak: strong and sharp, great for peeling and cracking acorns, nuts and fruits.
How does a jay prepare for winter? Where does the jay winter? If you are looking for the answer to this question, then after reading this article, you will certainly find it.
Who is this jay? Jay is a bird with a very good feather. She has black wings with bright blue and white spots. It lives mainly in European countries.
How does a jay prepare for winter?
These attractive birds prepare in advance for the arrival of winter. Jays feed in a variety of ways, they can eat both insects and berries, and seeds, and grains. In winter, they mainly eat acorns. In autumn, jays look for acorns and hide them in tree hollows, under stumps, between roots, etc. However, sometimes they forget about their hiding places, and therefore it is not surprising that new trees can sprout in the spring. One jay can store about 2 kilograms of acorns.
Jay is considered the most dangerous enemy for small birds. They love to destroy the nests of other birds, the jay steals and drinks the eggs, takes the chicks for itself.
Jays live predominantly in forests and are usually easier to hear than see at first. During the nesting period, birds settle in oak forests. In some regions, the jay is considered a migratory bird, but, in general, they remain in one place for all seasons.
The jay is a bizarre forest bird, which got its name from the Old Russian verb "shine". This is because it has a bright color and a lively disposition. The first thing that comes to mind when the word "jay" is the expression "mockingjay".
Like it or not - we will analyze in this article.
Description of the bird's appearance
It is noteworthy that externally the bird resembles a jackdaw. In more detail, the bird has a bright plumage, a wide crest and a long tail. Such birds have a reddish-brown body color, which goes well with bright blue feathers.
It should be noted that Siberian jays have a red head, while European jays have a whitish color with brown patches. This bird is distinguished from the cuckoo primarily by its black tail and white rump. In addition, the bird has a crest on its head.
If we talk about the size of these birds, then their height can reach 15 cm, and the length is from 25 to 40 cm along with the tail. As for the weight, it can vary from 150 to 200 grams.
Gallery: bird jay (25 photos)
What is the nature of the jay bird
First of all, it should be noted that this forest a citizen. The favorite habitat of these birds is oak groves. The bird itself has a restless and very cautious disposition, which is why it has become a kind of danger signaler.
The bird has a good and sensitive hearing, so it is the first to warn forest dwellers about the appearance of a person or a predator. It can rightly be called watchman the woods.
It should be noted that the bird gives out unpleasant and harsh sounds. She is very shy and her flight is very maneuverable. Therefore, if you scared her away, then you only have to admire her fast flight between the trees. This bird does not fly very fast.
The bird practically does not descend to the ground, and if it does, it moves along the ground in small but frequent jumps. Often it is located in the middle or upper tiers of the forest.
It should be noted that the closest relatives of jays are such birds as the walnut and nutcracker.
Jay: migratory bird or not
Answering this question, it should be noted that the bird spends most of its time nomadic way of life. However, she can also fly.
If we talk about southern birds, then they lead a sedentary lifestyle.
They can fly only if lean year or because of weather disasters.
Habitat features and habits
These birds are common practically throughout Europe, as well as in North Africa and Asia Minor. These amazing birds can also be found in the Crimea, Sakhalin, Korea, Siberia and even in Japan and China. Jay in search of food can fly into cities. In addition, this wintering bird.
It is noteworthy that the jay can imitate different sounds. Therefore, when she gets closer to people's homes, she can copy some everyday sounds. For example, the voices of dogs or cats, or the creaking of a door. The bird is able not only to memorize new sounds, but also to reproduce them with the desired intonation.
What habits does this bird have:
- Jays very rarely migrate. Even if they fly, then not for a very long distance.
- These are very shy birds.
- Jays are often diurnal. At night, like all other forest dwellers, they sleep.
What does a jay eat
The food of these birds is very varied. So, they eat:
- nuts;
- berries and various seeds;
- insects and worms;
- eggs of other birds;
- little mice and frogs.
It must be emphasized that these birds are very thrifty. Very often they make small hiding places under moss or leaves.
What are the natural enemies of jays
This species of birds has many natural enemies that strive to eat them. These enemies include:
- Filinov.
- Crow.
- Hawks.
In addition, a person is also a great danger. And we are talking not only about hunters, but also about farmers who poison the fields pesticides.
Reproduction features
Start marriage period falls at the beginning of spring. It is after winter that the birds begin to create pairs. So, in order to attract the attention of the female, the male constantly jumps around her.
It's remarkable what the couple's nest makes together and very high off the ground. Dry branches and grass, thin twigs and wool are used as building materials. But nests in hollows are very rare.
It should be noted that there can be from 5 to 7 eggs in the nest. The couple take turns incubating the eggs. Jay chicks are born after a month and a half. An interesting fact is that jay chicks are born blind and completely naked. After the birth of the chicks, the jays will divide their duties.
Yes, main a task the male is the prey, and the female must take care of the chicks. Jays take care of their offspring until the end of summer. In the first days of life, jays feed their chicks with caterpillars. And when the jay chicks grow up, other insects begin to go to food.
After the jay chicks grow up, they gather in flocks and choose a new habitat for themselves. Often in the wild, these birds live up to 7 years.
As a result, it should be said that jays are beautiful birds that scream rudely and sharply. In nature, they can be found in forests, but they are very shy. These birds also have their own peculiarity - ants help them cleanse themselves of various pests.
Among birds kept at home, jays are not the most common birds. Of course, parrots come first. Among decorative birds also popular finches, finches, carduelis, canaries, siskins. Thrushes are less common, as they require careful care and a large space.
Jays are attractive, noticeable and unusual birds. They are found in most forests of Russia (coniferous forests, deciduous, mixed), and are also found in forests in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Crimea, southern Siberia, Sakhalin, Japan, Korea and China. The maximum flight speed of a jay is 35 km / h. Jays can mimic most of the sounds they hear. They perfectly imitate the sounds of human and animal voices, easily imitate the songs of other birds, as well as the words of people, which is why they are called " speaking» jays. True, it is more difficult to teach them to pronounce individual syllables and words compared to others. talking birds.
Jay belongs to the corvidae family and has a fluffy loose feather. Birds both sexes have the same color: their forehead and crown are gray-white with dark strokes, but the color of the back, sides and belly is wine-brown. The wings are rounded in shape, have bluish-turquoise feathers. They have a crest on their head, which is clearly visible if the bird is worried.
Jay is better to take chick, so she can quickly become tame and trusting. But a small chick is quite difficult to feed - in nature, it feeds every 30 - 60 minutes. However, in the future, these birds are quite picky - they eat any food, as well as what family members eat. Of course, it is necessary to feed your pet with fresh vitamins of vegetables and fruits. The bird will also like nuts and cereals.
Jay space is needed. Unlike parrot, bird cannot stay permanently in a cage- breaks feathers. Minimum cell dimensions should be 40*50*60cm. More preferred are enclosures. They can be located as in the room, and in the attic, balcony or in the yard. In addition, the jay needs a small bowl of water for bathing. If the bird does not bathe on its own, then at least once a week it should be lightly sprayed with slightly warm water from a spray bottle so that the water flows down the feathers.
According to some reports, it is recommended to keep the jay apart, as it can kill its "neighbors". The life expectancy of jays can be 10-18 years, so a chick that has grown at home, will delight you with its singing for a long time.
talking jay
Your fancy name forest bird jay received from the form of the Old Russian verb, akin to the modern "shine", for bright feathers and a lively disposition. Black-blue, blue and white spots, or mirrors, adorn the jay, the size of which does not exceed 40 cm with a tail.
The weight of an adult is about 200 grams. The body has an even beige color, and the wings are full of different colors. The paws are brown, the feathers on the breast are light. The appearance of a raised cute tuft on the head signals an alarmed state. birds.
blue jay especially elegant among other species, thanks to the bright plumage on the back and the blue crest on the head.
The blue jay is distinguished by its plumage and tufted head
The jay is distinguished by a strong beak with small sharp edges, adapted for splitting acorns, nuts and hard fruits. Such a shining bird can be found in a vast area of forests in Europe, North America and Asia.
The nature and lifestyle of the jay
Jay is a forest inhabitant of all types of copses, old parks, deciduous and coniferous thickets. A special preference for the bird is oak groves. Her restless and cautious nature made her a danger signaler for all other inhabitants of the forest.
A sensitive jay sees and hears everything the very first. With sharp cries of “rah-rrah-rrah”, warning the appearance of a person or a large predator, she will warn the inhabitants and will accompany the movement of a dangerous object like a real forest watchman.
Pictured is a Yucatan jay
The Mockingbird is called a beauty for her talent to imitate other voices and sounds. If in the wilderness of a remote forest you suddenly hear the meowing of a domestic kitten or the bleating of a goat, then this is a sign of a jay that has “returned from the guests” and visited human settlements.
There is no great threat to the number of mockingbirds, but their life is full of dangers. It is not by chance that fearfulness has become a hallmark of the bird and helps to adapt to the environment.
Features and habitat of the jay
Mixed, deciduous, coniferous forests of Europe, Russia, North Africa, Japan, China are the habitats of the jay. Lovers of thickets with shelters of branches fly out to open spaces, if there is plenty of free-standing trees.
They may appear near cities in search of food when they find parks or trees with a large crown. Jay - winter bird, bringing joy with colorful plumage in the black and white appearance of cities. Many believe that her appearance brings good luck.
Pictured is a white-breasted jay
Journeys to human dwellings enrich mockingbirds with new voices and sounds. The forest talker is able to imitate the knock of an ax, the creak of a door, the voices of dogs, cats and other domestic animals, borrowing other people's bird songs can mislead a person uninitiated in the cunning of a bird.
Teases or wants to impersonate someone else by imitating bird voices? Jay not only memorizes sounds, but conveys intonations.
Pictured is a jay on an anthill
Jay feeding
The diet of birds is varied and largely depends on the season, including plant and animal food, obtained both on the ground and in trees. In spring and summer, jays feed on insects, worms, bringing invaluable benefits in the destruction of pests.
Their berries, seeds, grains beckon. Gaping, or also become the prey of swift jays. Eggs and chicks attract mockingbirds, for which they are often called robbers and nest destroyers, but plant foods are their main food.
In autumn, the main delicacy of jays is acorns, rowan berries, bird cherry, lingonberries, hazelnuts. The bird not only finds food, but thriftously makes numerous pantries for the winter. Each industrious bird digs dozens of shallow holes in which it hides acorns, cones and nuts, and then falls asleep with its paws and masks the hiding places with twigs and leaves.
The bird finds secluded places for harsh winter days in the roots of trees, in cracks in the bark or dry stump and other wood crevices. Stocks are placed where there are fewer mice: in a pine or spruce forest.
They carry nuts or acorns not one at a time, but up to 7 pieces at once in a special sublingual sac. Workers hide up to 4 kg of various supplies for the winter, providing food not only for themselves, but also for squirrels, other hungry animals, hiding places of jays under the snow. Mockingbirds themselves forget where they put away supplies, and can ruin, in turn, squirrel pantries.
Lost or forgotten acorns sprout in places far from oak groves. The benefits of seed distribution contribute to the enrichment of forestry not only with the growth of young oaks, but also with hazel, bird cherry, and mountain ash.
Cases are described when jays stole potato tubers scattered in early autumn near houses for drying. Easy prey beckons the agile to profit.
Reproduction and lifespan
Spring is the mating season for jays. When choosing a pair, the birds coo, make noise, straighten their tufts in an attempt to please. Pair formation and nesting takes place from about mid-April to June in places inhabited for several years and protected from other bird species.
The construction of the nest is carried out by joint efforts from stems, twigs, wool and grass. Nests are located on strong branches near a tree trunk at a height of 1.5 m. Ornithologists argue who incubates the clutch: only the female or alternately with the male.
Jay with chicks in the nest
But as a result, after 15-17 days, chicks appear from 4-7 spotted yellow-green eggs. Parental care lasts until autumn, although after 20 days a timid independent life outside the nest begins, searching for food and trying to fly.
The chicks feed first on caterpillars, which are brought by their parents, and then switch to plant foods. Jays become sexually mature only after a year.
The average life expectancy of birds in nature is 6-7 years. But the oldest jay recorded at the age of 16 years. Jay is bright and active. Communication with a person while trying to tame is entertaining and can develop into real affection.
A bird can trust a person, and then it is important not to darken its spiritual radiance and show sincere concern for the forest bird.