Curl-crested Jay

Overview

The curl-crested jay (Cyanocorax cristatellus) is a large, beautiful New World jay native to South America. It is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is considered the most commonly seen corvid in certain Brazilian regions.

Identification

• Predominantly dark blue back with an almost black head and neck, and snow-white chest and underparts.
• Large bird measuring approximately 35 cm overall, featuring a pronounced curled crest rising from just behind the beak.
• Loud, grey call described as "graa" or "gray-gray-gray", often repeated 8–10 times and sounding similar to a crow.

Habitat

Native to the cerrados of central and southern Brazil, the caatinga of north-eastern Brazil, and the extreme northern region of Paraguay. Its range extends into the upstream headwater regions of the southeast Amazon Basin adjacent to the northwestern cerrado. They are also found in the extreme headwaters of the west-flowing Guaporé River on the Brazil-Bolivia border.

Diet

A dietary generalist that consumes eggs, nestlings, insects, arthropods, small vertebrates such as geckos, and palm nuts. They show a particular fondness for the seeds of the native Inga laurina and the fruits of the introduced umbrella tree. Early morning observations indicate they also feed on nectar and invertebrates in pequi trees.

Did you know?

These birds live in groups of six to twelve individuals that move from food source to food source, leaving a lookout nearby to keep watch for predators. Although currently expanding their range, these expansions may be temporary, with populations potentially disappearing from formerly settled locations again.