Jay food in nature. How does the jay bird live? Jay is probably common in all forests of Europe. However, it is not easy to observe these beautifully colored birds, as they are very cautious and hide when they see a person. Video and photo

The bright outfit of the jay is in no way inferior to the beauty of the plumage of some exotic birds, and in its ability to imitate a variety of sounds, the forest mockingbird successfully competes with other feathered imitators. Its way of life and habits are especially interesting for beginner ornithologists: a noisy, vociferous, but at the same time very cautious jay can be heard more often than seen.

Jay Description

A jay cannot be called a small bird: it is twice as large as a starling, from beak to tail its body length is about 40 cm, and its wingspan reaches half a meter. The weight of the jay is relatively small and is 170-200 gr.. Sitting on a branch, the bird looks smaller than in flight.

Appearance

Unusually attractively elegant, intricately colored plumage of a bird:

• the head is decorated with a small but voluminous black crest, which contrasts with the grayish-white ornament on the forehead and crown;
• the back of the head and the back of the neck are designed in a muted beige-pink tones, echoing the darker shades on the breast and abdomen;
• very light, almost white central part of the neck, shaded by black stripes running along the sides of the mandible;
• the forearms are painted in a bright azure tone, and these “mirrors” are crossed out with short black strokes;
• feathers on the wings in the upper part of a pale ocher color, at the ends - black;
• the white uppertail plumage is bordered by black feathers of a small, straight-cut tail.

In chicks, the coloration has more restrained shades than in adult birds, and the crown and crest are not so colorful.

It is interesting! Young individuals also differ in a dark brown iris, while in older relatives the eyes are of a delicate light blue color. Probably, a change in the pigmentation of the iris serves as a signal to potential partners about the readiness for mating.

The texture of the plumage is fluffy, loose. A rather large head is equipped with a short, pointed beak, while the upper mandible is noticeably larger than the lower one. The legs are long, with prehensile toes ending in small claws. External sexual differences (dimorphism) of birds are weakly expressed and consist only in the larger dimensions of the male.

Jay lifestyle

Even the bright plumage and diurnal lifestyle do not often allow you to see jays in their natural environment. Birds are very cautious and shy. Sensitively reacting to the slightest rustles and movements nearby, they quickly hide in dense branches, notifying other relatives of a possible threat with alarm cries. Loud sounds made by birds will accompany the movement of a dangerous object for a long time to come. For such hypervigilance, jays are called forest guards.

The jay's own song is not distinguished by melody or expressiveness and usually consists of an unintelligible whistle, clicking, gurgling. But the wonderful talent of the mockingbird allows the bird to include in its repertoire an imitation of the overheard singing of other birds and the sounds of the thicket. Returning to the forest after being near rural housing, jays are able to imitate the bleating of sheep, the meow of a cat, the barking of a dog, the knock of an ax, the creak of doors. Individuals living in captivity can even reproduce simple phrases uttered by a person, while repeating not only words, but also intonations.

Birds spend most of the day looking for food. They rarely descend to the ground or fly over long distances, preferring to stay at a safe height of the middle and upper forest layers for a long time. Their flight in open space can seem rather slow and awkward. However, such maneuvering movements, carried out by alternating flapping and gliding, are very convenient for moving birds over short distances.

Most of the year jays live in pairs, monogamous in some species.. In small flocks, numbering from 20 to 30 individuals, they gather only on the eve of winter, having completed the rearing of offspring. This allows the jays to lose less heat during bad weather, when they hide in the branches of coniferous trees as a group. Depending on the subspecies and habitat conditions, the lifestyle of jays can be either nomadic or sedentary. In general, jays have good adaptive properties. In combination with a rather sharp mind, this allows forest mockingbirds to adapt even to not very comfortable environments.

It is interesting! Thanks to their cunning, jays find many ways to make their lives easier. They do not neglect easy prey, ruining squirrel pantries and nests of other birds, stealing potato tubers, carrots and beets scattered on the fields to dry, raiding vineyards and orchards in search of juicy treats.

In their natural habitat, the average life expectancy of jays is 5-7 years. Under especially favorable climatic and weather conditions, which contribute to the maintenance of a good food base, there are cases when jays live 16-17 years. Birds removed from the nest at an early age are well tamed and, if they are well fed, cared for and kept in spacious cages or aviaries, can live in captivity for 18-20 years.

Range, habitats

Jays can be seen everywhere in Europe, including in Scandinavia and northern regions of Russia. The area of ​​distribution of birds also includes the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the north of Iran and the African continent, the southern regions of Siberia, and the northern parts of the Mongolian Altai. Almost everywhere, with the exception of humid subtropics, jays live in the Far East. Despite the fact that birds were previously considered to be mostly mainland, today they are also found on the islands: species are known that form nests in Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Crete, the Greek archipelago, Sakhalin, the South Kuriles and the island part of Kamchatka. Jays usually do not go on long flights, surviving the winter in permanent habitats and leaving them only in cases of severe crop failure or adverse changes in climatic conditions. Thus, the migration of jays is not regular, and it would be more correct to say that some of the populations are migratory, and some are sedentary and nomadic.

It is interesting! The widespread and even omnipresence of jays is indicated by the presence of these birds as characters in the myths of various peoples, from Oceania to Norway and from Japan to Britain. The Slavs, for example, have such a belief. Bird Iriy (Vyriy) is a place where birds fly away for the winter, accompanying the souls of dead people in their wanderings.

At the beginning of spring, the gates of Iria open, and storks rush to the awakening earth, carrying newborn babies to the world. Only three birds have the keys to this amazing abode - the nightingale, swallow and jay, which are the first to appear in Iria and the last to return from there. Jay habitats are associated with forests, mainly oak forests and mixed massifs. In the south, birds also nest among bushes. In vertical terms, the species is distributed from the lowlands to the wooded belt of the mountains, not exceeding a level of about 1600 m.

Jay Bird Diet

The basis of the diet of jays is plant food.. Most often, acorns fall into tenacious claws, which the birds deftly split with the sharp edges of the upper beak. Jays supplement their favorite menu with nuts and various berries - raspberries, strawberries, lingonberries, mountain ash. If it is not possible to find acorns in oak forests, jays feed on the seeds of oats, wheat, sunflowers, peas, extracting them in the fields. From mid-spring to late autumn, jays include new “products” in their diet. The main prey of birds during this period are insect pests:

• bronze beetles;
• leafworms;
• barbels;
• may beetles;
• weevils;
• silkworm caterpillars;
• sawfly larvae.

On occasion, jays can show predatory instincts, and then small rodents, frogs, lizards and even small birds - white-browed thrushes, tits, warblers, gray flycatchers, as well as their offspring become food for them. But only some subspecies behave this way, acorns remain the main preference for European jays.

It is interesting! Jay has a habit of stocking up for future use. It fills its sublingual sac with found food, which allows it to quickly transfer prey to secluded places under the bark of trees, in a litter of leaves or moss. In such pantries, sometimes up to 4 kg of various food is collected. Sometimes birds forget about their hiding places, and then their contents, sprouting, give rise to new oak and walnut groves.

In winter, when it is impossible to get food from under the snow cover in the forest, jays can be seen near people's dwellings on the outskirts of villages and even in the city, where they go in search of food. Some species, in conditions of a lack of a natural food source, become synanthropic, that is, they live in close proximity to humans.

The representative of the corvid family, the jay, is a beautiful and bright bird. Its very name comes from the Old Russian verb "shine".

The length of the bird can reach 34-40 cm with growth up to 15 cm. Weight, as a rule, is about 140-200 grams. The wingspan is slightly over 50 cm.

The body color is light brown, closer to beige, sometimes sandy, the tail and wings are black at the ends, the tail is snow-white on the inside. On the wings are spots of a beautiful blue hue with black stripes. On the crown are white and black feathers. The breast and throat are of a lighter shade than the rest of the body; black side stripes seem to be drawn from the beak. The iris of the eye is a beautiful pale blue color, the eyes themselves are large, round, slightly convex.

On a small head graceful round crest, tail - long (up to 15 cm), brown-red legs - strongly built, distinguished by tenacity. The beak is short, with pointed edges, the wings are rounded, up to 17 cm long.

The color of the feathers on the bird's head may vary depending on the region of habitat. If the jay lives in Europe, then the feathers are light, with brown specks. Asian birds have a light brown top, but the jays of Asia Minor and the Caucasus have dark black feathers. Siberian birds are the owners of the bright red color of the crown.

The jay bird, the photo and description of which is easy to find, is a very elegant, beautiful representative of the forest fauna.

Habitat

Jay has a fairly wide habitat. You can meet her in Europe, China, Korea, Japan. Often these birds come across in North Africa, Siberia, the Caucasus, Sakhalin and the Crimea. The range is very wide, representatives of the species can be seen even in the Himalayas. Prefers to live in forests, especially in oak, but can live in other deciduous and coniferous forests.

habits

These are sedentary birds, they do not migrate even in severe winter years. Occasionally they roam at a fairly close distance in order to solve the problem of subsistence.

They have a shy disposition, in case of danger they hide. The crest of the jay is most noticeable during such periods: it strongly fluffs the feathers on the crown.

Jay is diurnal and inactive at night. Prefers a varied diet

The jay is thrifty and hides part of the food "for a rainy day": you can often find original pantries - hiding places under fallen leaves, moss, underground in the roots of trees. Sometimes one bird manages to make very impressive reserves! They come to the rescue when food becomes scarce. In winter, due to the snow cover, it is difficult for the jay to get to the cherished room. But everything in nature is thought out: having sensed food, hungry squirrels dig out a hiding place, then everything is saturated: both animal and bird. Amazing symbiosis!

In the fields, jays enterprisingly collect small potatoes left after harvesting, and also hide them in secluded places.

It flies a little heavy, often flapping its wings, but this does not reduce the flight speed. Jumps on the ground or from branch to branch. In bad weather, skillfully hides in spruce paws.

It is distinguished by a fussy disposition: noticing the danger, it begins to make sharp, unpleasant sounds for hearing.

It is also interesting because it is wonderful mimics previously heard voices. Wikipedia contains a very detailed description of this unique bird, offering to get acquainted with the full name of the species, features and interesting facts, and even listen to the cry.

natural enemies

In nature, a bird cannot feel safe because of the following "enemies":

• owl;
• marten;
• crow;
• goshawk.

Also, a person poses some danger to these forest mockingbirds: not only hunters, but also farmers who poison the environment with pesticides and fertilizer lead to a reduction in numbers.

Hunters often unjustifiably destroy these birds, considering them to be robbers of other people's nests.

By making stocks, jays contribute to the spread of oaks: if a bird buried an acorn in the ground and did not return to its pantry, then an oak can grow!

The average life expectancy of birds is from 5 to 7 years, but among jays there are cases of longevity: 16-20 years!

When creating pairs, they prefer to live apart, but in the winter cold they gather in small flocks (up to 30 birds).

reproduction

The start of the mating season is early spring. At this time, the jays create a couple: the male jumps around the female, fluffing feathers and a tuft, if she agrees, she comes closer. This means making a couple. They will build a deep and large nest together, high enough from the ground. It winds from thin twigs, branches and dry grass, inside it is insulated with wool and grass. Very rarely nests are made in hollows.

The number of eggs is 5-7 pieces, they look very picturesque: green with black specks, one is about 3 cm long. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs. After about half a month, blind naked chicks hatch. Now the male will get food for them, and the female will continuously be with the offspring, warming it and protecting it.

After about 20 days, the chicks leave the parental home for the first time to sit on the branches. Gradually learn to fly and get food. Being very caring parents, jays look after the offspring until the end of the summer.

Jays are interesting and beautiful birds, the observation of which will bring real joy to both the novice naturalist and the experienced ornithologist.

And ignorant people often confuse them, although they differ significantly in size. Body jays – birds, attributed by zoologists to the order of passeriformes, has a length of about 15 cm.

This means that such a winged creature is larger than a cuckoo. In addition, if you measure a jay, taking into account the length of an impressive tail, then its dimensions are doubled. Its average weight is about 175 g, which is approximately equal to the mass of two cuckoos. It is also possible to recognize the jay by the feathers of the white upper tail, turning into a black tail.

The outfit of this bird is catchy, distinguished by its original color scheme. It is believed that its name comes from the Old Russian verb "soy", which means "shine".

The very fact of this proves that even the name of the described creation emphasizes its impressive natural features.

Jays choose an average height, descend to the ground only for food

Moreover, the jay boasts outstanding vocal abilities. She is also famous for the richness and complexity of her repertoire. Often jay's voice sounds in the form of screeching and cod, sometimes it is a nasal cry.

Often this bird gives concerts, consisting of a complex variety of low noises: whistles, gnashing, gurgling, rattling sharp trills. Many of the sounds are borrowed from other vociferous representatives of the world of winged, other living beings and even inanimate objects.

For the ability to imitate what he heard, this interesting creature received a sonorous and undoubtedly well-aimed nickname of the forest mockingbirds. Jays while in captivity, in some cases they learn to reproduce human speech and even memorize entire phrases.

Moreover, living in close proximity to people, these talented birds begin to imitate the squeal of a saw, the sound of an ax, meowing and dog barking.

The jay can be a sedentary bird or a nomad, in some cases a migratory one. It all depends on the place chosen for life and the conditions of existence in those parts. And the range of such birds is extensive. This means that they can be found in many areas of the vast planet.

It is surprising that the “shine” of such birds - the refraction of light rays in the grooves of the fan, as well as the violet-blue hue of feathers, is not at all a consequence of the presence of a special pigment in the plumage, but something more complex, related to the structure of birds.

Some varieties of jays, of which there are a significant number, can be white and yellow, even discreet gray.

The black-headed Steller's jay lives in forested mountain slopes and pine groves in the American west.

Kinds

These birds are classified as corvids, that is, they are considered to be close relatives of crows. In its detachment, the group of jays is represented numerously and widely, including about 44 species.

Moreover, zoologists argue that there may be species that have not been described by scientists, living in areas of the globe that are difficult to access for scientific research.

Within the Old World, such birds are combined into one genus, which is divided into three species, and they, in turn, are divided into subspecies. Some of them should be mentioned.

• The common jay is a feathered creature, widely distributed in the forest regions of Eurasia, it is also found in the northwestern regions. Among the varieties of jays, this one is considered the largest, that is, the size of a jackdaw.

From afar, its plumage appears gray to the observer, and only if you get closer, it is possible to see black and white wings, complemented by a blue stripe. All features are visible on the photo of jay of this variety, also called Eurasian or simply Karez.

It is worth mentioning one more of its amusing feature. On her head there is a crest of black and white feathers, it tends to rise when the bird is excited or frightened.

• Decorated jay. These creatures stand out from their counterparts with a black-violet color of the head, dark blue elytra and back, chestnut feathers with a purple tint on other parts of the body. They are found exclusively in the Japanese islands.

Pictured is a decorated jay

• Himalayan jay. Where this species lives is clear from the name. The feather outfit of such birds is very beautiful, although its colors are mostly cold.

The Himalayan jay can also be found in India and Afghanistan.

• Malayan or crested jay. In addition to Malaysia, such birds are common in Thailand. These creatures, unlike many of their brethren, are brave and do not shy away from people.

Their young are striped in color. But growing up, the birds become almost completely black, only with a white stripe on the neck, similar to a collar. Their head is decorated with a characteristic long, arbitrarily rising under certain conditions, crest.

With age, the Malay jay acquires a black plumage color.

• The saxaul jay is common in Mongolia, where it settles in rare thickets of bushes among deserts. In appearance, it is similar to a large or small crow. It is interesting because it does not fly well, it is better for it to jump and run.

The birds from this group - the inhabitants of various regions of the New World are represented in a variety of ways. They are combined into eight genera and each of them is divided into several species. Representatives of these varieties are distinguished by the color of the pen and other features of their appearance. Some of them will be presented below.

The saxaul jay rarely flies, but it runs fast and well

• American blue jay – bird, living in the central regions of the United States, inhabiting mixed, beech, pine and oak forests. Sometimes they settle in areas near human habitation, where, in addition to the main food, they feed on food waste.

The basic tone of the pen of these creatures is bluish-blue, marked by a black stripe on the neck and white specks all over the body. The nests of such jays are very neat and strong structures made of pieces of lichen and branches, covered with wool and rags, reinforced with wet clay and earth.

blue jay

• Black-headed magpie. Such jays are found in Mexico. They really look like magpies in the structure of the tail, sharp and long in shape. The tuft is bent when the bird is excited, the feathers are blue above and white below, the face and neck are black.

The voice of such birds is similar to that of a parrot; during the mating season, its sounds become pleasant and melodic. The beak of these creatures is unusually strong, which helps a lot to get food. And they eat almost like people, holding a treat with the fingers of one of their feet, and at the same time they stand on the other.

• The Yucatan jay is a rare variety. In addition, such birds are shy, and therefore little is known about them. They live in the ruins of Mayan cities. The plumage of the birds is black in front and blue in the back.

Yucatan one of the rarest types of jays

• Blue shrub. This type of jay is found in the forests of Florida. The head and wings of birds, like the tail, have blue plumage, and they are light gray below. Due to their rarity, these birds are protected.

blue scrub jay

Lifestyle and habitat

Close relatives of such birds are the Nutcracker and Nutcracker. Most of the varieties of jays are overly nervous and shy. And they try not to catch the eye of the two-legged. But caution is not a superfluous feature for these birds, because their hard life is full of dangers.

Common jays prefer to settle in forests of any type: deciduous, coniferous, and also mixed. Such birds can be found in parks if they are rich in vegetation and trees.

In some cases, birds also appear on the territory of cities, as well as other human settlements, where they mislead the uninitiated two-legged with their concerts, imitating the sounds heard near the dwelling.

Not everyone is able to unravel the tricks of this mockingbird, imitating other people's voices and noises. Sometimes these birds steal food from people. For example, potato tubers laid out for drying in the yard.

Those of the jays that remain to winter in their native lands find shelter from the cold and bad weather in tree crevices and dry stumps, in bark cracks and tree roots.

Nutrition

These birds enjoy eating plant foods: seeds, nuts and berries. Subspecies living in Europe eat acorns. Moreover, these products are stored in a significant amount for the winter, which contributes to the spread of oaks.

One jay can hide acorns up to 4 kg by dragging his trophies a considerable distance, and then forget about his pantry. In this way, entire oak groves successfully grow.

By similar actions, they spread other tree seeds, for example, mountain ash and bird cherry.

These winged creatures do not disdain animal food, although they use only small-sized creatures as food, for example, small amphibians and tiny reptiles, caterpillars, and frogs.

They eat mice, other rodents, insects - spiders and others. With their voracity, jays also harm their own relatives - sparrows, with great pleasure eating their eggs and cubs, ruthlessly destroying the nests of these winged brethren.

But the jays themselves often become victims of someone else's cruelty. And their first enemy is man. And the attractiveness of the outfit of birds is very helpful to hunters, you just need to remember what does a jay look like.

After all, it is incredibly easy and convenient to take such “shining” creatures under the gun. Of the feathered predators, their enemies are the goshawk, eagle owl, and crow. From the animal kingdom, the cunning marten is a danger to jays.

Feeding their chicks with caterpillars and harmful insects, especially eating pine barbel, which other birds prefer not to touch, jays turn out to be very useful, for which they were rightfully awarded the title of forest orderlies by naturalists.

Reproduction and lifespan

Spring is the time for mating troubles for such birds. Pursuing the search for the chosen ones, in an attempt to please male jays making noise, cooing and straightening their tufts. By the onset of summer, the choice of a partner in settled safe areas, as a rule, is already over.

It is almost impossible to distinguish a male from a female jay

Next, the construction of a dwelling for future chicks begins, which is usually located somewhere at a height of one and a half meters. Such birds build nests from twigs and stems, grass and wool. Soon, greenish with yellow, spotted eggs appear in them. Their number reaches seven pieces.

During these periods, jays become especially cautious and shy. Therefore, scientists do not even know: which of the parents is engaged in hatching chicks. But it is assumed that the main role in this process still belongs to female jay.

After a little over two weeks, chicks hatch, which develop at a rapid pace. After 20 days, they are already entering an independent life. A year later, they themselves become parents.

Usually there are 5-7 eggs in a jay clutch.

The period of life of such creatures is estimated at seven years, in some cases they live for about fifteen. Domestic jays in care are unpretentious, intelligent and perfectly trained. They are active, interesting and, despite the natural fearfulness, often become strongly attached to a person.

However, their ability to reproduce human speech, of course, cannot be compared with talents, for example,. But with a caring attitude, these birds delight their owners for a long time and are able to live up to 22 years.

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The jay is a widespread small bird with bright plumage and a rich vocal repertoire. Jays are representatives of the passerine order and the corvid family. In ancient Russia, these birds were called "soy": most likely the name was formed from the verb "shine" and emphasized their beautiful, bright plumage.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Jays sort things out.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay bird on the ground.

Jay (probably after bathing).

Birds of the Old World form 1 genus, including 3 species: common jay, decorated and Himalayan. When it comes to the jay, it is precisely the common or Eurasian jay, also known as the karez, that is meant. Jays of the New World form 8 genera, each of which includes several species of birds that differ greatly in appearance and plumage color.

What does a common jay look like

A person far from ornithology can easily confuse a jay with a cuckoo. Outwardly, these birds are very similar, but differ in size and color of the tail. The body length of an adult jay is approximately the same as that of a jackdaw and is about 15 cm, and taking into account the tail, from 25 to 40 cm. Kukshi are smaller, their size does not exceed 30 cm. The tail of the common jay is always black with a white uppertail, the feathers on the tail of the kuksha are red with a dark stripe running in the middle.

The plumage of the jay is loose and bright, and the head is decorated with a wide crest. The feathers on the head of Siberian jays are distinguished by a bright red color, the European jay can be distinguished by a whitish head with vertical brown streaks. In some subspecies, the crown is black.

The body of the common jay is brown with reddish, the tail and wings are always black, and a white spot is clearly visible above the tail. On the shoulders of birds, feathers of sky-blue color, dotted with thin black stripes, stand out in bright stripes.

Photo of a jay in winter.

Jay in flight.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photo of jays.

Jay in flight.

Range and lifestyle

Common jay can be found throughout Europe, in many countries of Asia and North Africa. Most jays lead a nomadic lifestyle, in the north of the range they are migratory, the southern populations are sedentary birds.

Jays live mainly in forests, outside the mating season they are easy to spot by their bright plumage, during the nesting period the birds become quiet and secretive. Jays build their nests from twigs and dry stems at a height of up to 5 m right in the branches, only a decorated jay usually builds a nest in a tree hollow. From April to June, females lay from 5 to 7 pale green, gray-brown speckled eggs, 2.8 - 3.3 cm long. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks.

The incubation period lasts 16 - 17 days. After birth, the chicks need care for about 3 weeks, then they are already able to fly, but remain under the care of their parents until autumn.

Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay in the forest.

Jay in the forest.

Features of the diet

The diet of the jay is made up of various plants and small animals. Of plant foods, birds prefer berries and seeds, European subspecies feed mainly on acorns. One jay is able to hide up to 4 kg of acorns for the winter, thereby contributing to the reproduction of oak groves.

Animal food includes insects, rodents, small reptiles and amphibians. Jays do not disdain representatives of their own detachment, for example, sparrows, and also do not miss the opportunity to ruin someone else's nest by eating masonry or chicks. Knowing about this particular behavior of jays, many hunters consider it their duty to take a bright bird under the gun.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay with an acorn.

Voice repertoire

Jays are considered one of the most notable forest mockingbirds. Their singing is a set of sharp, rattling trills and onomatopoeia of other birds.

If the birds happen to be near human habitation, their vocal capabilities expand significantly: jays easily imitate dog barking, meowing, human voice, ax clatter and saw screeching.

Jay at the watering hole.

Jay on a tree.

Jays are unpretentious in care and well trained. These are not domestic birds, such as parrots, but patient and caring owners manage to teach their feathered pets to pronounce individual words. With good care, these birds can live up to 18-22 years.

Vranovs. Small, weighing no more than 200 grams. It lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests, prefers old parks. She especially loves forests with dense undergrowth and shrubs. quite extensive. Jay is a bird that lives in almost the entire European territory, in the Caucasus, in the countries of Asia Minor and Southeast Asia, in North Africa. Found in Siberia, Sakhalin.

and character

The jay bird, the photo of which you can see above, is easily recognizable by its bright orange plumage, black wings and tail, bright blue feathers on the shoulders and black “whiskers”. During alarm, feathers rise on the top of the motley head, forming a bright crest. The jay is a very sensitive bird, it instantly reacts to extraneous sounds and with a loud cry notifies the neighborhood about the approach of an intruder. For this, she is called the "forest policeman." In vigilance, she is not inferior to magpies, known for their alertness and talkativeness. Instantly reacting to the appearance of squirrels, birds of prey and anyone who can destroy bird nests, she notifies the forest of an approaching danger. However, during the nesting period, the character of the bird changes. She becomes secretive and silent, subordinating all her actions to the care of offspring.

reproduction

The female and the male arrange their nest together, alternately bringing small twigs, dry grass and feathers for its construction. Jays prefer to fix their house on large branches, next to a tree trunk at a height of one and a half to five meters from the ground, but sometimes they prefer tree hollows. Despite the fact that it is often her nests began to be found in cities. They hatch eggs, and there are up to 10 of them in a clutch, both partners take turns. The hatched chicks of the parent are fed with small caterpillars and larvae, and as soon as they grow up a little, insects go to feed. Ornithologists note that the father brings food to the nest and passes it to the female, who already feeds the chicks. Unlike other birds, if jays have noticed danger, they can drag their offspring to a safer place.

Nutrition

The jay is a bird of prey. In addition to the bugs, caterpillars, spiders, mollusks, lizards and frogs that are constant in her diet, she does not disdain small birds, sometimes ruining their nests and eating, in addition to eggs, chicks. Given the benefits that jays bring by eating harmful insects, such as weevil, Maybug, various leafworms and silkworm caterpillars, she is forgiven for the minor harm that she brings to the ruin of bird nests. In addition, the jay feeds on berries, mushrooms, small fruits and even potatoes. In autumn, their main food is acorns, which they collect in reserve. They found “pantries” of jays, in which there were up to 4 kilograms of acorns.

mockingbird

One of the distinguishing abilities of the jay is its ability to imitate the voices of other birds and animals, including the voice of a person. Her own voice is noisy and unattractive, but her "imitations" are very funny. The jay bird can be trained, but only if it lives in the wild. With enough patience and perseverance, a jay can be taught to pronounce a few words and whistle simple melodies. However, this ability is manifested if the bird trusts its breadwinner. Enclosed in a cage, the jay becomes sullen, "taciturn".