Violaceous Jay

About the Violaceous Jay

The violaceous jay (Cyanocorax violaceus) is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and possibly Guyana. The violaceous jay was originally described in 1847 as Cyanocorax violaceus, its current binomial.

The violaceous jay has two subspecies, the nominate C. v. violaceus (Du Bus, 1847) and C. v. pallidus (Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1944). The violaceus jay is 33 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in) long and weighs about 260 g (9.2 oz). The sexes have similar plumage. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a blackish forecrown and a blackish or dark sepia crown and sides of the head and neck. Their nape is pale bluish white that becomes pale blue at the base of the nape. Their upper back is pale violaceous blue and the rest of their upperparts a darker violaceous blue. Their primaries are blackish with violaceous blue on their outer edges. Their tail is indigo-blue. Their throat and upper breast are the same blackish or dark sepia as the sides of the head, and the rest of their underparts are violaceous blue. The undersides of their wings and tail have a blackish... Wikipedia →