Alternative name: Collared Jay
- Cyanolyca viridicyanus
Identification
34cm.
- Black forehead, lores and side of head
- White forecrown and side of crown, extending as very narrow stripe over and beyond eye
- White line continues around border of black facial area and forms a narrow white collar between the dark throat and the upper breast
- Indigo throat
- Cerulean blue rest of plumage
- Dark brown eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles are duller than adults.
Cyanolamea has a bluer crown and nape, jolyaea is even more blue and slightly tinged with greenish on wings and tail.
Distribution
Andes of Bolivia and Peru.
Locally common but rare or uncommon in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Cyanolyca viridicyanus has three subspecies:[1]
- C. v. jolyaea
- Andes of northern Peru (Amazonas to Junín)
- C. v. cyanolaema
- Andes of south-eastern Peru (Cuzco and Puno)
- C. v. viridicyanus
- Andes of western Bolivia (La Paz and Cochabamba)
A split has been proposed; "Forms north (C. v. jolyaea) and south (C. v. cyanolaema and C. v. viridicyanus) of the Río Apurimac valley show dramatic molecular differences and discrete morphological differences" (Daniel Philippe's tread, 2009).
Black-collared Jay and Turquoise Jay have been regarded as subspecies of this species in the past.
Habitat
Moist montanes. Occurs between 1600m and 3000m, up to 4000m in Peru.
Behaviour
Foraging in flocks along branches at subcanopy and canopy levels.
Diet poorly known.
No information about breeding.
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-collared Jay. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-collared_Jay
