Black-throated Magpie-Jay
Cyanocorax colliei
Spectacular, large, and very long-tailed jay of tropical lowland forest, plantations, and semiopen areas with hedges and tall trees; ranges from humid to fairly dry areas. Range not known to overlap with smaller White-throated Magpie-Jay. Usually in small groups and can be surprisingly inconspicuous if feeding quietly. At other times, unavoidably noisy and impossible to overlook. No similar species in range: note crest, black face and throat, and very long, white-edged tail that flows out behind in flight.
Identification
This species is 58.5 to 76.5 cm (23.0 to 30.1 in) long, more than half of which is the tail, and weight is 225–251 g (7.9–8.9 oz). Only a very few corvids, including the black-billed magpie, the red-billed blue magpie and the closely related white-throated magpie-jay, have a comparable tail length. The upperparts are blue with white tips to the tail feathers; the underparts are white. The bill, legs, head, and conspicuous crest are black except for a pale blue crescent over the eyes and a patch under the eye. In juveniles, the crest has a white tip and the patch below the eye is smaller and darker blue than in adults. In most birds, the throat and chest are also black, but some in the southern part of the range have various amounts of white there.<p>The calls are varied, loud, raucous, sometimes parrot-like.
Taxonomy
The black-throated magpie-jay was formally described in 1829 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors from a specimen collected at San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico. The specimen had been obtained by members of an expedition to explore the western coast of North America captained by Frederick William Beechey on HMS Blossom. Vigors coined the binomial name Pica colleriei, with the specific epithet chosen to honour Alexander Collie, the surgeon on board the Blossom, who had presented the specimen to the Zoological Society of London. The black-throated magpie-jay is now one of two species placed in the genus Calocitta that was introduced in 1841 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Cyanocorax colliei
- Authority
- (Vigors, 1829)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Calocitta
Range and habitat
This species occurs in pairs or small groups in woodland, except for humid woodland, and partially open areas on the Pacific Slope of Mexico from southern Sonora south to Jalisco and northwestern Colima, for a total of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi). As of 1993 there was some evidence of a population decline.<p>The species has become established in southern San Diego County (2013), especially in the Tijuana River Valley. The birds are presumably descendants of escapees from nearby Tijuana, Baja California, where the trade in birds is unregulated.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The diet is the omnivorous one typical of the crow family.<p>The nest is also typical of the family: a big cup of sticks lined with softer material. The female lays 3 to 7 whitish eggs with brown and gray spots.<p>This species interbreeds with the white-throated magpie-jay in Jalisco and Colima, where intermediate birds are common. It has been considered a subspecies of the white-throated magpie-jay, Calocitta formosa colliei.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
Anis are bizarre, coal-black cuckoos with long floppy tails and unique, curiously tall, flattened bills. Smooth-billed occurs in a variety of open and semi-open habitats in tropical lowlands and foothills, typically staying low in shrubs and grasses. Gregarious and not particularly graceful; usually seen crashing around awkwardly in small groups. Flies with choppy wingbeats and long glides. Widespread and common throughout much of South America and the Caribbean, extending as far west as the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and north to Florida. Compare with the very similar Groove-billed Ani, which overlaps in some areas of Central and South America. Note especially the bill shape: Smooth-billed often (but not always) has a taller ridge on the top of the bill, and a sharper angle on the lower edge of the bill. The sides are typically smooth, rarely with weak grooves. Voice is also important: listen for a rising, hawklike whistle with an inflection at the end. Dark eye, size, and habitat help separate from Greater Ani in South America and Panama.
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Large, brownish woodpecker with black barring on the back and black spots on the belly. Easily recognized in flight by its bright white rump. Also note large black crescent-shaped mark on breast. Wings and tail flash yellow or red, depending on the subspecies. Generally "Yellow-shafted" is found in eastern and northern North America, and "Red-shafted" is found in western North America as far south as Oaxaca. Typically singly or in pairs, but can gather in large loose groups during migration and winter. Often seen feeding on the ground in open areas, foraging for ants and worms. Vocal and conspicuous: listen for loud “kleer!” call and series of laughing notes.
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Callocephalon fimbriatum
Small and compact cockatoo found only in southeastern Australia. Primarily scaly gray-green; adult male has bright red ‘helmet’ and fluffy crest. Typically moves to higher altitudes during summer and returns to lower ranges in winter. Gives a loud creaking door hinge call.
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