Lidth's Jay

Overview

Lidth's jay (Garrulus lidthi), also known as the Amami jay, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae native to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Total length up to 38 cm, slightly larger than the Eurasian jay with a proportionately stouter bill and longer tail.
• No discernible crest, with velvety black head feathers, deep purplish blue shoulders and back, and rich chestnut purple on all other parts.
• Voice is similar to that of the Eurasian jay.

Habitat

Restricted to the southern Japanese islands of Amami Ōshima and Kakeromajima, and possibly formerly present on Tokunoshima. It inhabits subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests as well as coniferous, deciduous, and mixed woodlands in both lowlands and mountains.

Diet

Diet consists largely of the nuts of the native chinkapin (Castanopsis cuspidata), along with small reptiles and invertebrates of many types.

Did you know?

The species was chosen as the symbolic bird of Kagoshima Prefecture in 1965. It has recently recovered from threats posed by introduced small Indian mongooses, which were eradicated in 2024.