Plate 024 · plucking a fruit in the canopy IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Plush velvet crest in black, on the forecrown.
- 2Blue face spots above and below the yellow eye.
- 3Black face and bib. Sharply cut off from the cream breast.
- 4Violet-blue back, wings and tail, with a paler bluish nape.
- 5Cream underparts. From breast to vent.
- 6Tail tip broad and creamy white, obvious in flight.
Easily confused with Purplish JayCyanocorax cyanomelasDull purplish brown all over, with no cream belly or white tail tip. Dark eye. 024 / 100 · BIRDS · CORVIDAELEAST CONCERN Plush-crested Jay
Cyanocorax chrysops
Urraca común
It moves through the forest in noisy family groups, tree by tree. It has a very varied repertoire of calls and warns the whole forest when it spots danger. The northwest has its own race, tucumanus, described from birds collected in Tucumán.
- Length
- c. 32 – 35 cm
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 1,800 m
- Groups
- family parties of several birds
- Subspecies
- C. c. tucumanus
- Noisy groups
- Omnivore
- Seed disperser
- Very vocal
Altitude rangeFoothill and montane forest
All year It is commonest in the foothill and montane forest and goes less often into the upper montane woodland. The altitude limits are approximate.
FoodEats almost anything
- Fleshy fruitfrom trees and shrubs
- Large insectson branches and leaves
- Eggs and nestlingsof other birds
- Seedsand maize near houses
By eating fruit and dropping the seeds elsewhere, it helps spread forest trees.
BehaviourSocial and curious
- In groups. It travels in family parties that follow one another through the trees.
- Many voices. Shouts, clicks and whistles. Its alarm calls alert other birds.
- Cooperative breeder. A twig nest in a tree. Other group members help feed the young.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- PN Aconquija
- El Siambón
- Quebrada de Lules