Jay - a bird, a representative of the order Passeriformes, a family of corvidae. Medium, weighing no more than 200 grams. It lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests, prefers old parks. She is especially fond of forests with dense undergrowth and shrubs. The habitat is quite extensive. Jay is a bird that lives practically throughout the entire European territory, in the Caucasus, in the countries of Asia Minor and Southeast Asia, and in North Africa. It is found in Siberia, on Sakhalin.
Appearance and character
The jay bird, the photo of which you can see above, is easily recognizable by its bright orange plumage, black wings and tail, brightly blue feathers on its shoulders and black "mustache". During an alarm, feathers rise at the top of a motley head, forming a bright crest. Jay - the bird is very sensitive, it instantly reacts to extraneous sounds and loudly screams to the district about the approach of an uninvited guest. For this, her name is "Forest Police Officer." In vigilance, it is not inferior to the magpies, known for their wariness and talkativeness. Instantly reacting to the appearance of squirrels, birds of prey and everyone who can destroy bird nests, she alerts the forest about the impending danger. However, during the nesting period, the nature of the bird changes. She becomes secretive and silent, subordinating all her actions to the care of posterity.
Breeding
The female and the male arrange their nest together, alternately bringing small twigs, dry grass and feathers for its construction. Jay prefers to mount his house on large branches, next to a tree trunk at a height of one and a half to five meters from the ground, but sometimes they prefer tree hollows. Despite the fact that this is a forest bird, often its nests began to be found in cities. Eggs hatch, and in the clutch there are up to 10 pieces, both partners take turns. Parents hatched chicks are fed with small caterpillars and larvae, and as soon as they grow a little, insects go to the feed. Ornithologists note that the father brings food to the nest and passes it to the female, which already feeds the chicks. Unlike other birds, if jays notice a danger, they can drag their offspring to a safer place.
Food
Jay is a bird of prey. In addition to the constant bugs, caterpillars, spiders, earthworms, mollusks, lizards and frogs in her diet, she does not disdain small birds, sometimes ruining their nests and eating, in addition to eggs, chicks. Considering the benefits that jays bring by eating harmful insects such as weevil, chafer, various leaf-eaters and silkworm caterpillars, she is forgiven for the minor harm she does by devastating bird nests. In addition, the jay eats berries, mushrooms, small fruits and even potatoes. In the fall, their main food is acorns, which they collect in reserve. We found “storage rooms” for jays containing up to 4 kilograms of acorns.
