In the aftermath of Christmas and New Year, January is typically a month of new beginnings, starting fresh, engaging in physical activities and embracing the great outdoors. For the latter, Tomorrow brings you a resident bird in Portugal that you are likely to spot when you are out and about.
In reality, you have probably already seen one, even if you were not able to identify it. It is the Eurasia jay (Garrulus glandarius). The Latin name suggests a noisy acorn collector (Garrulus = chatter and Glandarius = relating to acorns), which is very apt for this bird.
Present in most of Portugal and, in fact, throughout a very wide distribution range that includes Europe, North Africa and Asia, this jay is highly adaptable and, although originally a forest and woodland inhabitant, it has been found in urban parks and gardens, ideal places to live.
A small to medium-sized passerine, this jay has a wingspan of 55 centimetres and measures 35 centimetres from beak to tail. It is recognisable mainly for its pale bronze colouration. Below the eyes, a black stripe, and the black and white wings show a segment of electric blue. The jay also has a distinguishable screeching call and is often heard before it’s seen. On the ground, they hop around foraging for their favourite foods, which include a variety of nuts, insects, seeds, fruits, small eggs, young birds, and even mice.
These industrious birds particularly like and seek acorns. During autumn and winter, when acorns are plentiful, jays will hide hundreds of acorns around their territory in case they will need food later on in the year, effectively creating a woodland pantry. This hoarding behaviour, called caching, is not only beneficial for the jay itself but also for other creatures of the woods that will find the hidden snacks. For the oaks, the dispersion of the nut seeds is an opportunity to germinate and grow a tree in a new part of the forest, wood or park.
Jays are members of the crow family. Corvids, in general, are renowned around the world for their intelligence and ability to solve problems creatively. The Eurasian jay is no different and shows impressive skills when mimicking other woodland sounds for its own advantage. For instance, when disputing for food with other birds or when threatened, they can call out the sound of a bird of prey to scare off competition or confuse attackers. They have also been seen mimicking the sounds of other woodland birds and even the meow of a cat.
There are around forty other species of jay worldwide, mainly distributed across the Americas and Asia. The Inca jay (Cyanocorax yncas) of South America stands out for its impressive exotic plumage of bright yellow, green, and blue.
Fun fact:
“jay anting” is the term given to a special behaviour. When preening, jays will sometimes look for ant nests and allow ants to crawl over their bodies and wings. It is thought that the formic acid released by the ants acts as a parasite repellent.
