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Cyanocorax dickeyi)
Alternative name: Dickey's Jay
- Cyanocorax dickeyi
[edit] Identification
37cm. A distinctive jay:
- Prominent stiff, bristly, fan-shaped crest over crown starting at base of bill
- Black forehead and crest
- Large white patch above eye and extensive white patch on cheek and malar region, both bluish at edges
- Black loral region, throat and upper breast
- Black stripe extending from rear crown down side of neck and meeting black of upper breast
- White nape, hindneck, upper mantle, lower side of neck and rest of underparts
- Indigo-blue rest of upperparts
- Cyan-blue tail base, white on terminal part
- Bright yellow eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles have a short crest, a dark iris and only one bluish patch on side of head.
[edit] Distribution
Endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental in western Mexico.
Endangered as there are no protected sites within the small range.
[edit] Taxonomy
Monotypic.
May form a superspecies with Plush-crested Jay and White-naped Jay. Probably also closely related to White-tailed Jay.
[edit] Habitat
Mixed deciduous and evergreen forest in hilly areas. Often close to watercourses. Occurs from 1350m to 2150m.
[edit] Behaviour
Feeds on plant material (acorns, plant fibres, seeds and fruits) and less on insects or eggs and nestlings.
Usually seen in small groups of 4 to 16 birds, very rarely on the ground.
Breeding seaon from April to June. Social breeder with up to ten helpers. The nest is a large, bulky construct made of larger sticks and twigs. It's placed 5 - 15m above the ground in a densely foliaged tree or bush. Lays 2 - 5 eggs.
A sedentary species.
[edit] References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
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