White-throated Jay

Overview

The white-throated jay, also known as the Omiltemi jay, is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to Mexico and described as the handsomest and most strikingly marked member of its genus.

Identification

• Size of 23 to 25 cm with a weight of 50 to 54 g in males, featuring a black bill and black legs.
• Mostly black head, neck, and upper breast contrasting with a white throat and a thin white supercilium that continues around the back of the ear coverts but does not join the throat.
• Slate-blue plumage with a greenish cast on the body and dark gray underwings.
• Principal call is a somewhat variable, nasal 'perzheepup' or described as a slightly raspy, nasal 'sheev-idee sheev-idee'.

Habitat

The species inhabits humid pine-oak forest, montane evergreen forest, and coniferous forest in the upper subtropical and temperate zones of southwestern Mexico. Its distribution is disjunct, found in the Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra de Yucuyacua in Guerrero and northwestern Oaxaca, as well as a smaller range in the Sierra de Miahuatlán in south-central Oaxaca. It occupies elevations between 1,800 and 3,500 m, though it is mostly found between 1,825 and 2,450 m in Oaxaca.

Diet

The white-throated jay forages at all levels of the forest and often joins mixed-species feeding flocks of up to about eight individuals. Its specific diet and detailed foraging behavior are not known.

Did you know?

The white-throated jay is currently found in only one protected area. It is thought to be not uncommon within its restricted range, despite detailed information lacking.