Silvery-throated Jay

About the Silvery-throated Jay

The silvery-throated jay (Cyanolyca argentigula) is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. The silvery-throated jay was originally described in 1875 as Cyanocitta angentigula. It was later reassigned to its present genus Cyanolyca that had been erected in 1851.

The silvery-throated jay has two subspecies, the nominate C. a. argentigula (Lawrence, 1875) and C. a. albior (Pitelka, 1951). The silvery-throated jay is 25 to 27 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long and weighs an average of 65 g (2.3 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly black head with a pale grayish lavender or silvery white band on the forecrown and rearward as a supercilium to the back of the ear coverts. Their upper back is black and their lower back, scapulars, rump, and uppertail coverts are dusky purplish blue. Their wings and tail are blue. Their throat and upper breast are pale lavender or silvery white. They have a black band across the lower breast that becomes dusky purplish blue on the belly and undertail coverts. Subspecies C. a. albior has a pure glossy white forecrown... Wikipedia →