Black-throated Magpie-jay
Encyclopedia
The Black-throated Magpie-Jay (Calocitta colliei) is a strikingly long-tailed jay
of northwestern Mexico
.
, and weight is 225-251 grams (8-9 oz.). Only a very few corvids
, including the Black-billed Magpie
, the Red-billed Blue Magpie
and the closely related White-throated Magpie-Jay
, have a comparable tail length. The upperparts are blue with white tips to the tail feathers; the underparts are white. The bill
, legs, head, and conspicuous crest are black except for a pale blue crescent over the eyes and a patch under the eye. In juveniles, the crest has a white tip and the patch below the eye is smaller and darker blue than in adults. In most birds, the throat and chest are also black, but some in the southern part of the range have various amounts of white there.
The calls are varied, loud, raucous, sometimes parrot
-like.
south to Jalisco
and northwestern Colima
, for a total of 160,000 km2. As of 1993 there was some evidence of a population decline.
one typical of the crow family
.
The nest is also typical of the family: a big cup of sticks lined with softer material. The female lays 3 to 7 whitish eggs with brown and gray spots.
This species interbreeds with the White-throated Magpie-Jay
in Jalisco and Colima, where intermediate birds are common. It has been considered a subspecies of the White-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta formosa colliei.
The binomial commemorates the Scottish naturalist Alexander Collie
.
, sending Sheldon
into an ornithophobic
episode. It was incorrectly referred to as a Blue Jay
.
Jay
The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex...
of northwestern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
This species is 58.5 to 76.5 cm (23 to 30 inches) long, more than half of which is the tailTail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
, and weight is 225-251 grams (8-9 oz.). Only a very few corvids
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
, including the Black-billed Magpie
Black-billed Magpie
The Black-billed Magpie is a bird in the crow family that inhabits the western half of North America. It is notable for its domed nests, and for being one of only four North American songbirds whose tail makes up half or more of the total body length The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a...
, the Red-billed Blue Magpie
Red-billed Blue Magpie
The Red-billed Blue Magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha is a species of bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is about the same size as the European Magpie but has a much longer tail, the longest tail of any corvid. It is 65-68 cm long and weighs 196-232 grams .-Description:The head, neck and breast...
and the closely related White-throated Magpie-Jay
White-throated Magpie-jay
The White-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta formosa, is a large Central American jay species. It ranges in Pacific-slope thornforest from Jalisco, Mexico to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Magpie-jays are noisy, gregarious birds, often traveling in easy-to-find flocks, mobbing their...
, have a comparable tail length. The upperparts are blue with white tips to the tail feathers; the underparts are white. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, legs, head, and conspicuous crest are black except for a pale blue crescent over the eyes and a patch under the eye. In juveniles, the crest has a white tip and the patch below the eye is smaller and darker blue than in adults. In most birds, the throat and chest are also black, but some in the southern part of the range have various amounts of white there.
The calls are varied, loud, raucous, sometimes parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
-like.
Range and habitat
This species occurs in pairs or small groups in woodland, except for humid woodland, and partially open areas on the Pacific Slope of Mexico from southern SonoraSonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
south to Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
and northwestern Colima
Colima
Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....
, for a total of 160,000 km2. As of 1993 there was some evidence of a population decline.
Behavior
The diet is the omnivorousOmnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
one typical of the crow family
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
.
The nest is also typical of the family: a big cup of sticks lined with softer material. The female lays 3 to 7 whitish eggs with brown and gray spots.
This species interbreeds with the White-throated Magpie-Jay
White-throated Magpie-jay
The White-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta formosa, is a large Central American jay species. It ranges in Pacific-slope thornforest from Jalisco, Mexico to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Magpie-jays are noisy, gregarious birds, often traveling in easy-to-find flocks, mobbing their...
in Jalisco and Colima, where intermediate birds are common. It has been considered a subspecies of the White-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta formosa colliei.
The binomial commemorates the Scottish naturalist Alexander Collie
Alexander Collie
Dr Alexander Collie was a Scottish surgeon and botanist who journeyed to Western Australia in 1829, where he was an explorer and Colonial Surgeon.-Early life:...
.
In Popular Culture
A Black-throated Magpie-Jay was featured in a season 5 episode of The Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
, sending Sheldon
Sheldon Cooper
Sheldon Lee Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D. is a fictional character from Texas on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Jim Parsons...
into an ornithophobic
Ornithophobia
-Symptoms:Ornithophobia can cause the following symptoms: breathlessness, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, feeling sick, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to speak or think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, or a full-blown anxiety attack.-In popular...
episode. It was incorrectly referred to as a Blue Jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
.
External links
- Stamps (for MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) with RangeMap - "Black-throated Magpie-Jay" VIREO
- Photo-High Res – pbase.com
- Photo-High Res--(Close-up); Article – whozoo.org
