Cayenne Jay
Cyanocorax cayanus
Large jay of humid forest and edges including savanna and premontane forest in the tepui region. Combination of size and black-and-white plumage unlike any other species in range. Moves through forest in noisy groups but can be hard to see well. Sometimes accompanies foraging flocks of oropendolas and caciques, feeding on flowers and fruit. Calls include a variety of whistles and grunts.
Identification
The cayenne jay is a medium sized jay, roughly 33 cm (13 in) long. It has a generally purplish back with white undersides. Its back and tail are a purplish-brown, with a white tail-tip. Its wings fade from the purplish-brown of the back to a darker purplish-blue. Its neck is a sooty grey, fading to white on its undersides. Its face and throat are generally black, with white spots above and below the eye, and along the malar. The edges of these white spots fade to a mauve colour. It has a short black crest on the top of its head. Its beak has a black beak and tarsus, with light blue or white irises. Juveniles are overall duller in colour. The tip of the tail is less white and more violet, and the white spots above and below the eyes are smaller or missing altogether.<p>Males and females are generally the same size, with females weighing 174.6 g (6.16 oz) and males 174.8 g (6.17 oz). The wing length of females averages 159.8 mm (6.29 in) and males average 159.5 mm (6.28 in). For both sexes, the average tail length is 140 mm (5.5 in), the average bill length is 36 mm (1.4 in), and the average tarsus length is 46 mm (1.8 in).
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cyanocorax cayanus
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Cyanocorax
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant
Lophotriccus galeatus
Tiny flycatcher; common and widespread, but heard far more often than seen. When seen well, note pale eye and elongated crown feathers, giving this bird a hammer-headed appearance. Found in humid forest understory and second-growth as well as in savanna woodland. Frequently found near gaps and vine tangles where it sits quietly, then sallies upward to glean insects from leaves. Song is an irregular series of ticking notes that sometimes runs into a trill, often given for long periods throughout the day. Similar to Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant, but vocalizations are less buzzy.
Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler
Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps
A typical scimitar-babbler, moving noisily through the undergrowth in pairs or small flocks while probing for prey with a long, curved bill. Simply colored: brown above and white below with a black mask and a bright red bill. Very similar-looking Brown-crowned Scimitar-Babbler has warm brown underparts. Often moves with other species, particularly other babblers and fulvettas, in mixed-species flocks. Gives a range of chattering, hooting, and whistling notes. A species of hill forests, particularly evergreen broadleaf forest.
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