Azure Jay

About the Azure Jay

The azure jay (Cyanocorax coeruleus) (Brazilian Portuguese: gralha-azul) is a Near Threatened species of passeriform bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and possibly Paraguay and Uruguay.

The azure jay was originally described in 1818 as Pica coerulea (with an œ ligature), identifying it as a magpie. With its transfer to the genus Cyanocorax, its specific epithet ending was changed to the masculine "-us" to agree with the gender of this name. However, taxonomic systems do not agree on its spelling. AviList and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World use coeruleus to match the original spelling. The IOC, the Clements taxonomy, and the independent South American Classification Committee (SACC) currently spell it caeruleus. This article uses the former spelling.

The azure jay is monotypic. Some authors treat the azure jay and the purplish jay (C. cyanomelas) as a superspecies. The azure jay is 38 to 40 cm (15 to 16 in) long; one individual weighed 272 g (9.6 oz). The sexes have the same plumage that includes a short bushy crest on the forecrown. Adults have a sooty or black... Wikipedia →