Cyanocorax
Encyclopedia
Cyanocorax is a genus
of New World
jay
s, passerine
bird
s in the crow
family
, Corvidae
. The generic name is derived from the Greek
words κυανος (kuanos), meaning "dark blue," and κοραξ (korax), meaning "raven
".
It contains several closely related species that primarily are found in wooded habitats of Mexico
and Central
and South America
, with two species, the Brown Jay
and the Green Jay
, just barely entering the United States
. Coincidentally, these are also the only species in this genus where the upperparts are not primarily blue or purplish.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
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...
s, passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Corvidae
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 generic name is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words κυανος (kuanos), meaning "dark blue," and κοραξ (korax), meaning "raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
".
It contains several closely related species that primarily are found in wooded habitats of 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...
and Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, with two species, the Brown Jay
Brown Jay
The Brown Jay is a large American Jay which has the habitus of a magpie, but is slightly smaller and with a shorter tail, though the bill is larger.It occurs from Mexico south into Central America on the Gulf slope...
and the Green Jay
Green Jay
The Green Jay is a bird species of the New World jays, which exhibits distinct regional variations within its large but discontinuous range...
, just barely entering the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Coincidentally, these are also the only species in this genus where the upperparts are not primarily blue or purplish.
Species
- Bushy-crested JayBushy-crested JayThe Bushy-crested Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25...
, Cyanocorax melanocyaneus - San Blas JaySan Blas JayThe San Blas Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
, Cyanocorax sanblasianus - Yucatan JayYucatan JayThe Yucatán Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family, the crows and their allies.It is found in Belize, Guatemala, and southern Mexico....
, Cyanocorax yucatanicus - Purplish-backed JayPurplish-backed JayThe Purplish-backed Jay, Cyanocorax beecheii, is a bird of the crow family Corvidae, with purple feathers on its back and black feathers everywhere else. It is endemic to Mexico.-External links:* on the Internet Bird Collection...
, Cyanocorax beecheii - Violaceous JayViolaceous JayThe Violaceous Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family, the crows and their allies.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest...
, Cyanocorax violaceus - Azure JayAzure JayThe Azure Jay is a passeriform bird of the crow family Corvidae. It is found in the Atlantic Forest, especially with Araucaria angustifolia, in south-eastern Brazil , far eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina...
, Cyanocorax caeruleus - Purplish JayPurplish JayThe Purplish Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay....
, Cyanocorax cyanomelas - Curl-crested JayCurl-crested JayThe Curl-crested Jay is a jay from South America.This New World or "blue" jay is a beautiful and large bird with predominantly dark blue back, an almost black head and neck, and snow-white chest and underparts...
, Cyanocorax cristatellus - Tufted JayTufted JayThe Tufted Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family. It is endemic to a small area of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Sinaloa and Durango in Mexico....
, Cyanocorax dickeyi - Black-chested JayBlack-chested JayThe Black-chested Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela....
, Cyanocorax affinis - White-tailed JayWhite-tailed JayThe White-tailed Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is found in Ecuador and Peru.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Cyanocorax mystacalis - Cayenne JayCayenne JayThe Cayenne Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Cyanocorax cayanus - Azure-naped JayAzure-naped JayThe Azure-naped Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is found in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland....
, Cyanocorax heilprini - Plush-crested JayPlush-crested JayThe Plush-crested Jay is a jay of the Corvidae family, which includes the crows and their many allies. It is found in central-southern South America in southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, including southern regions of the Amazon Basin river systems,...
, Cyanocorax chrysops - White-naped JayWhite-naped JayThe White-naped Jay is a species of bird in the Corvidae family.It is endemic to Brazil - where it's known as the Gralha Cancã or the Cancão ....
, Cyanocorax cyanopogon - Green JayGreen JayThe Green Jay is a bird species of the New World jays, which exhibits distinct regional variations within its large but discontinuous range...
, Cyanocorax yncas- Inca Jay, Cyanocorax (yncas) yncas
- Green Jay, Cyanocorax (yncas) luxuosus
- Brown JayBrown JayThe Brown Jay is a large American Jay which has the habitus of a magpie, but is slightly smaller and with a shorter tail, though the bill is larger.It occurs from Mexico south into Central America on the Gulf slope...
, Cyanocorax morio