English              -               Plush-crested Jay

Portugueses    -                Gralha-picaça

Latin                 -                Cyanocorax chrysops

The Plush-crested Jay is from the Corvidae family of birds which also include Crows, Ravens, Rooks and Magpies.

Adults have bright indigo-blue upper-parts. The upper-wing shows brownish inner-edges of primary flight feathers. The graduated tail is tipped with a pale yellowish or white colour.  On the underparts, the chin, throat, neck sides and breast are black. The rest of the underparts varies from creamy-white to pale yellowish. The under-tail has a creamy to pale yellowish rectrices with a  dark base. The underwing is brownish. On the head, the black forehead shows stiffened feathers becoming softer on the crown, and forming a velvety crest. The result is a peculiar plush-like head, giving the bird its English name.
Forehead, crown and head sides are black. There is an ultramarine elongated crescent above the eye. This patch is washed white on top. Another ultramarine-blue spot is below the eye and joins the large cyan-blue malar stripe, forming a V below the eye. The nape is white washed ultramarine, and the hind neck is pure ultramarine.
The bill is black. Eyes are yellow. Legs and feet are blackish. The Plushed-crested Jay has a large repertoire of more than 20 different sounds.
In defence of its territorial, it gives loud, far-carrying calls. When the birds gather in flocks, they give social calls, a metallic, low melodious sound. Plushed-crested Jays are also know to mimic other birds species.

The Plushed-crested Jay is found in several parts of South America, from N Argentina, to Paraguay and Uruguay, Northern and Eastern parts of Bolivia and in Brazil, south of the Amazon River. The Plushed-crested Jay frequents forest and wooded areas, from typical lowland evergreen forest and tropical deciduous forest to temperate rainforest. It is usually seen up to 1500 metres of elevation, but it may occur at 2800 metres in Bolivia.
All kinds of forests and wooded areas are suitable for this species, especially with maize plantations in the surroundings. It also frequents Eucalyptus plantations and forest edges, and can be seen in suburban areas.

The Plushed-crested Jay forages by hopping on the ground foraging. It turns over fallen leaves by sweeping it’s bill sideways. When food is abundant, it often stores food on the ground covered with leaves, or in trees between the branches. They often forage in flocks of 3-10 birds at all levels. They feed primarily on small invertebrates, mainly insects, and fruits from several plant species. It sometimes take nestlings and eggs of other bird species and frogs. It regularly feeds on maize when available and other seeds during the winter.

The Plushed-crested Jay is a communal breeder with  2-3 helpers taking part in nesting duties and defence. Mate selection occurs at noisy, communal roosts. The male performs courtship feeding to the female, and she responds by jiggling wings and tail. They are monogamous but the pair-bonds are not for life. The Plushed-crested Jays nest is cup-shaped and often placed between 4 to 7 metres in the thick foliage of a tree. The nest is made from twigs, and the interior is lined with finer twigs and plant fibres, layers of bark and roots. Other soft materials can be added such as feathers, grass and leaves. The female lays 2-4 speckled eggs and she incubates them for 18-20 days. The male feeds her during this period. The chicks fledge 22-24 days after hatching, but they are fed by adults for three months after leaving the nest.

The Plush-crested Jay is rated as a species “of Least Concern”. Since this species has a large range and a population that is believed to be stable, it is not considered to be at risk. In saying that, deforestation is always a looming threat but luckily for this species, they are able to adapt to new environments.

Both photos of the Plush-crested Jay were taken at Parque Nacional do Iguacu.