Among birds kept at home, jays are not the most common birds. Of course, parrots come first. Among decorative birds also popular finches, finches, carduelis, canaries, siskins. Thrushes are less common, as they require careful care and a large space.

Jays are attractive, noticeable and unusual birds . They are found in most forests of Russia (coniferous forests, deciduous, mixed), and are also found in forests in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Crimea, southern Siberia, Sakhalin, Japan, Korea and China. Max speed jay flight - 35 km / h. Jays can mimic most of the sounds they hear. They perfectly imitate the sounds of human and animal voices, easily imitate the songs of other birds, as well as the words of people, which is why they are called " speaking» jays. True, it is more difficult to teach them to pronounce individual syllables and words compared to others. talking birds.

Jay belongs to the corvidae family and has a fluffy loose feather. Birds both sexes have the same color: their forehead and crown are gray-white with dark strokes, but the color of the back, sides and belly is wine-brown. The wings are rounded in shape, have bluish-turquoise feathers. They have a crest on their head, which is clearly visible if the bird is worried.

Jay is better to take chick, so she can quickly become tame and trusting. But a small chick is quite difficult to feed - in nature, it feeds every 30 - 60 minutes. However, in the future, these birds are quite picky - they eat any food, as well as what family members eat. Of course, it is necessary to feed your pet with fresh vitamins of vegetables and fruits. The bird will also like nuts and cereals.

Jay space is needed. Unlike parrot, bird cannot stay permanently in a cage- breaks feathers. Minimum cell dimensions should be 40*50*60cm. More preferred are enclosures. They can be located as in the room, and in the attic, balcony or in the courtyard. In addition, the jay needs a small bowl of water for bathing. If the bird does not bathe on its own, then at least once a week it should be lightly sprayed lightly. warm water from the spray bottle so that the water flows down the feathers.

According to some reports, it is recommended to keep the jay apart, as it can kill its "neighbors". The life expectancy of jays can be 10-18 years, so a chick that has grown at home, will delight you with its singing for a long time.

talking jay

The jay is a widespread small bird with bright plumage and a rich vocal repertoire. Jays are representatives of the passerine order and the corvid family. IN Ancient Rus' these birds were called "soy": most likely the name was formed from the verb "shine" and emphasized their beautiful, bright plumage.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Jays sort things out.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay bird on the ground.

Jay (probably after bathing).

Birds of the Old World form 1 genus, including 3 species: common jay, decorated and Himalayan. When it comes to the jay, it is precisely the common or Eurasian jay, also known as the karez, that is meant. Jays of the New World form 8 genera, each of which includes several species of birds that are very different appearance and plumage coloration.

What does a common jay look like

A person far from ornithology can easily confuse a jay with a cuckoo. Outwardly, these birds are very similar, but differ in size and color of the tail. The body length of an adult jay is approximately the same as that of a jackdaw and is about 15 cm, and taking into account the tail, from 25 to 40 cm. Kukshi are smaller, their size does not exceed 30 cm. The tail of the common jay is always black with a white uppertail, the feathers on the tail of the kuksha are red with a dark stripe running in the middle.

The plumage of the jay is loose and bright, and the head is decorated with a wide crest. The feathers on the head of Siberian jays are distinguished by a bright red color, the European jay can be distinguished by a whitish head with vertical brown streaks. In some subspecies, the crown is black.

The body of the common jay is brown with reddish, the tail and wings are always black, and a white spot is clearly visible above the tail. On the shoulders of birds, feathers of sky-blue color, dotted with thin black stripes, stand out in bright stripes.

Photo of a jay in winter.

Jay in flight.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photo of jays.

Jay in flight.

Range and lifestyle

Common jay can be found throughout Europe, in many countries of Asia and North Africa. Most jays lead a nomadic lifestyle, in the north of the range they are migratory, the southern populations are sedentary birds.

Jays live mainly in forests, outside the mating season they are easy to spot by their bright plumage, during the nesting period the birds become quiet and secretive. Jays build their nests from twigs and dry stems at a height of up to 5 m right in the branches, only a decorated jay usually builds a nest in a tree hollow. From April to June, females lay from 5 to 7 pale green, gray-brown speckled eggs, 2.8 - 3.3 cm long. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks.

The incubation period lasts 16 - 17 days. After birth, the chicks need care for about 3 weeks, then they are already able to fly, but remain under the care of their parents until autumn.


Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay in the forest.

Jay in the forest.

Features of the diet

The diet of the jay is made up of various plants and small animals. From vegetable feed birds prefer berries and seeds, European subspecies feed mainly on acorns. One jay is able to hide up to 4 kg of acorns for the winter, thereby contributing to the reproduction of oak groves.

Animal food includes insects, rodents, small reptiles and amphibians. Jays do not disdain representatives of their own detachment, for example, sparrows, and also do not miss the opportunity to ruin someone else's nest by eating masonry or chicks. Knowing about this particular behavior of jays, many hunters consider it their duty to take a bright bird under the gun.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay with an acorn.

Voice repertoire

Jays are considered one of the most notable forest mockingbirds. Their singing is a set of sharp, rattling trills and onomatopoeia of other birds.

If the birds happen to be near human habitation, their vocal capabilities expand significantly: jays easily imitate dog barking, meowing, human voice, ax clatter and saw screeching.

Jay at the watering hole.

Jay on a tree.

Jays are unpretentious in care and well trained. These are not domestic birds, such as parrots, but patient and caring owners manage to teach their feathered pets to pronounce individual words. At good care these birds can live up to 18-22 years.

Jays are typical forest birds, as well as more rare representatives of the corvidae family - nutcrackers, kukshas, ​​and choughs. Jays are found almost throughout Europe, in the Caucasus and Northern Iran, in North Africa and Asia Minor, in the southern half of Siberia, on Sakhalin, in Korea, in Manchuria, in the northern part of Mongolia, in China and Japan.

Jays are rather noisy birds and at the same time sensitive and cautious. They pick up any unusual sounds, notice every stranger, and immediately, with their loud and not very pleasant cry, notify the forest inhabitants of a possible danger. In vigilance, they are not inferior to magpies. However, noticing the magpie, they also signal this to other birds and animals. They also react to the appearance near squirrels, crows, birds of prey- after all, they all raid their nests. True, noisy jays are not always. As soon as they begin the nesting period, they become very secretive and silent. At this point, all their behavior is subject to a comprehensive instinct for caring for offspring.

Jay nests arrange in mixed and coniferous forests, strengthening them on large branches at the very trunk of trees. Both spouses build a nest - a female and a male, alternately bringing and laying building materials. On the question of who incubates the eggs of jays, the opinions of ornithologists differ: some believe that one female incubates, while others argue that both the male and the female incubate in turn. Some ornithologists believe that if the jays are disturbed, they can transfer their chicks to another, more peaceful place. Jays nest most often in forests with undergrowth and in bushes. IN Lately in some places they began to nest in cities. In the first days of the jay, the chicks are fed with caterpillars - the male brings them, and the female already passes them on to the children. Later, other insects and their larvae also eat.

adult jays in warm time years they feed on insects, exterminating many pests such as May beetles, barbels, weevils, various leafworms, silkworm caterpillars. Do not disdain spiders, mollusks, earthworms, lizards and frogs. It happens and they rob: they catch small birds, ruin their nests, eat chicks and eggs. Jays eat berries and fruits of mountain ash, bird cherry, and raspberries. Do not refuse hazelnuts. In autumn and winter, the main food of jays is acorns. They collect them in reserve, arranging pantries.

Every autumn, the jays jump under the oaks, pick up acorns on the ground or pluck them straight from the branches and fly to hide them. Moreover, not one acorn is transferred, but 5-7 pieces at once, placing them in a special sublingual sac. Stealthily, so that no one sees, jays hide acorns in small piles at the bases of stumps, tree trunks, under fallen leaves, moss. They most often arrange pantries in a spruce or pine forest - there fewer mice. The total number of acorns stored by jays can reach 4 kg. Acorns forgotten or lost by jays sprout, and in different places, far from oak groves, young oaks appear. The distribution of seeds of oak, hazel, mountain ash, raspberries, bird cherry and the destruction of harmful insects jays benefit forestry. In Bashkiria, stocks of hazel nuts were found in empty bird nests on hazel bushes.

In some places, jays show a tendency to potatoes. In autumn, when potatoes begin to be dug in the fields and vegetable gardens, jays appear from the forest and drag tubers. It happens that they fly to the houses, steal from the finished heap. One forester in Chelyabinsk region scattered dug out potatoes under the very windows of the hut to dry. The jays found out about this and began to fly here in dozens for prey. At first, the thieving bird walks innocently around the potatoes, looks closely, and then grabs a potato in its beak and flies into the forest. Having hidden their prey, the jays again returned to the hut. The forester's attempts to drive away the impudent thieves were unsuccessful. He had to hurry to put the potatoes in the prepared hole.

In autumn and winter, jays appear near forest settlements. Sometimes they fly into the forested areas of cities. More than once they were seen in Leningrad, in the park of the Forestry Academy.

Area. Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus, northern Iran, southern half of Siberia, Sakhalin, Korea, Manchuria, northern Mongolia, China and Japan. In the Soviet Union, the range of the jay includes the European part of the USSR, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Siberia (not north of 61-63 ° N), to the east - to the Ussuri Territory and Sakhalin, in the south to state border, excluding Central Asia.

The nature of the stay. Some of the populations are sedentary and nomadic, some are migratory. This is the case not only in the northern parts of the range, but also to the south - in the forests. middle lane. Jays roaming the forests are observed throughout the autumn and winter; at this time, birds also appear within isolated forest areas, and in rare cases even visit groups of trees scattered in the steppe and semi-desert zone (Guriev, Astrakhan). Autumn migration - from mid-September, in October and in the first half of November, spring - in March.

Biotope. Associated with forests - coniferous, deciduous, mixed; prefers forests with larch species. In the south it also nests among shrubs. In vertical terms, it is widely distributed from the lowlands to the forest belt of the mountains, that is, up to 1550-1600 m, by autumn the jays from the upper belts of the mountains descend below and are found in gardens and vineyards (Strautman).

population. The jay is an ordinary bird, but it catches the eye more often only after the chicks have left. In the Carpathians, it is common in the mountains, rare in the plains. On migrations it occurs, as a rule, in small groups and singly, on migration in flocks, in each of them no more than 20-30 birds.

reproduction. Puberty in jays occurs at the age of one. Pairs are formed with the onset of the first spring days. Mating behavior jays are expressed by current flights low over the trees and the singing of males, consisting of many overheard forest sounds.

Jay nests in various parts forests, both in the depths - among dense plantings, and closer to the edges; sometimes also among tall bushes. Nests are built by both parents, more often on young and middle-aged conifers and deciduous trees, at a height of 1.5-5 m from the ground. The nest is only 20 or slightly more centimeters in diameter, the tray is up to 10 cm deep. Sometimes the nest is placed in the hollow of a tree, such as oak (Charleman, 1915). The nest is small, but very skillfully made; it is made of twigs, the lining in it is thin elastic roots and dry grass. Both birds are built and managed with a week's work.

In the North Caucasus, nest building occurs in early April. Nests on various trees, mostly on oak, usually closer to their main trunk, and on shrubs; in the middle reaches of the Kuban, nests were found on hawthorn and in an elder bush. Nest at a height of about 4 m from the ground; nest litter made of small roots, nest base made of twigs (Armenia).

Masonry in the middle lane from late April and early May, somewhat later to the north. The number of eggs is 5-7, rarely 8, sometimes 9, even 10. Full clutch usually consists of 5 eggs. Egg sizes: 28-33x21.5-23 mm. (Shnitnikov, 1913). In case of loss of the first masonry, there is a second, additional one (June 20 in Belarus). Incubation is carried out from the first egg by both parents, who sit firmly on the eggs, for 16-17 days. The incubating bird sits firmly. Hatching of chicks is sometimes delayed for more than two days. After that, the feeding period begins. Adult birds work from the very early morning. Flying for food from 2.5 o'clock in the morning until almost 10 o'clock in the evening, appearing 1-2 times every hour near the nest.

Departure of chicks from nests occurs at the age of 19-20 days; from the first days of the second decade of June (the former Novgorod province, Smolensk region), to the south - at the beginning of this month (Dnepropetrovsk region). The nesting period is therefore 35-37 days. Non-flying chicks were also encountered later, at the end of June (Uzhhorod). Brood disintegration usually occurs by autumn; according to the observations of Portenko (1950) - by mid-August (western Transcarpathia).

Independent young in late May - early June (North Ossetia), from the first days of June (Georgia, Azerbaijan), and in Armenia - from the middle of July, when the young are still fed by adult birds. In Armenia, chicks hatch at about different numbers the beginning of the second third of June (four newly hatched chicks - June 11).

Moult. Partial molt of young in June - August; complete in adults also in June - August (Nithammer, 1937).

Nutrition. The jay obtains plant and animal food in various parts of the forest and in the places closest to it. Plant foods are found in the stomachs of birds caught throughout almost the entire year, but mainly in autumn and especially in winter.

The main type of plant food is oak acorns. The relationship between oak (acorns) and jay has long been noted in the literature, and subsequently a number of morphological features in the structure of the beak (the lower edge of the beak is straight, without concavity, and its edges are very sharp) and the limbs of the jay (the paws are relatively smaller, more flexible, armed with tenacious claws) in connection with its feeding on acorns (Novikov, 1948). In 72 stomachs (from the middle zone), oak acorns were found in 35 (48.6%, Stakhanov). Stomachs of jays caught near Moscow in October and April were usually 80-100% full of acorn pieces (Formozov, Osmolovskaya, 1950).

As other plant foods for jays, the following are given: strawberries, raspberries, bird cherry, lingonberries, mountain ash, seeds of spruce, oats, wheat, sunflower, corn, cucumber, peas, etc. The listed berries, and especially grain seeds, are extremely rare in the stomachs of jays, and therefore, when defining economic importance this bird may not be taken into account. Suffice it, for example, to say that out of 72 stomachs, many of these berries and seeds were noted in 1 and some in 3 and 5 (Stakhanov).

In spring, summer and autumn (from late April to late November), while feeding on plant foods, the jay becomes mainly insectivorous. Out of 72 stomachs, insects were found in 42 (58.3%); total insects in these 42 stomachs - 164 specimens, of which 100 (60.9%) are harmful, 2 (1.4%) are useful and 62 (37.7%) are indifferent. In the stomachs of 8 birds caught in May in the Carpathians, beetles were found in 71 cases, ants - 36, orthoptera - 10, bugs - 2 and spiders - 22 (Kistyakovsky, 1950). Of the insects, pests of the forest, eaten by the jay, the following are indicated: May beetle, golden bronze, longhorn beetles, weevils and leafworms, caterpillars of the gypsy moth, pine silkworm, as well as butterflies, hornets, sawfly larvae.

Of other animals, on occasion, jays feed on small rodents and shrews, small birds and their eggs, lizards and frogs. In 72 stomachs, the remains of mammals were found 12 times (6.6%), birds - 1 (0.8%), amphibians - 1.2%.

It is typical for jays to store food from autumn and, above all, acorns for the winter. The weight of the contents of such "warehouses" is often significant; in b. Orenburg province. in one "warehouse" stocked feed weighed more than 4 kg. (Zarudny, 1888). In winter, some of the hidden acorns are dug up by birds from under the snow.

Economic importance. Judging by the nature of the diet of the jay, one could conclude that it is generally a useful bird. There is, however, a question, however, requiring additional clarification, this is the degree of harm brought by the jay as a destroyer of the nests of small beneficial insectivorous birds. According to some data, this harm, apparently, is very small. It has already been said above that out of 72 stomachs of jays, the remains of birds were found in only one. To this we can add that Pachossky (1909) did not find the remains of birds in 23 stomachs of jays at all, Kistyakovsky (1950) notes only one meeting in 8 stomachs.

But there is evidence to the contrary. Promptov (1949) believes that the jay is more harmful than useful bird. About the hunting of jays for small birds in b. Orenburg province. wrote Zarudny (1888); Formozov (1950) observed the destruction of the nests of warblers, white-browed thrushes, and gray flycatchers by jays (Zvenigorod; Mordovskiy Reserve).

In the Crimea, the jay harms vineyards and orchards (Nikolsky, 1891). Jay late autumn often flies to harvested potato fields and picks small nodules of potatoes from the ground. They visit jays and stubble fields, where they pick up lost grain.

The jay bird belongs to the corvid family, but forms separate view. These birds live almost everywhere: in Europe, in the Caucasus, in Asia Minor, in the northern parts of Africa and Iran, in the Crimea. These birds are found in Japan, China, Far East and in Korea.

Appearance

The Mockingjay is a jackdaw-like bird. The length of her body is approximately 30-40 centimeters along with a tail growing up to 12-15 centimeters.

The description of the jay bird should begin with its wings - their wingspan is 50-55 centimeters with the length of the wings themselves about 15-17 centimeters. Mockingbirds weigh quite a bit, only 170-200 grams. The head is decorated with a beautiful wide crest. Above the tail, the feathers are painted in White color, while the beak, wings and tail itself are black. The body of the bird has a rusty-brown plumage with narrow stripes of bright of blue color on the shoulders.

Feathers on the head of jays different regions colored differently. So, European individuals have light feathers with brown specks. Asians wear a light brown “hairstyle”, mockingbirds from the Caucasus and Asia Minor flaunt black. Wide black stripes run from the beak to the neck. The paws are red-brown, the neck is light. The wings are rounded, the jay bird flies rather slowly.

In moments of excitement, the bird raises the feathers on its head, forming a pretty crest. At the sight of predators or people, jays make loud noises, warning other animals and birds of the approaching danger.

In general, the mockingbird looks very elegant and beautiful. But not everyone can see this, as these birds are very shy.

Behavior

For those who are just getting to know this feathered one, the question often arises: "Is the jay a migratory bird or not?" Individuals living in the south permanently reside in the same territory. Those who inhabit the northern regions also try not to move away from their usual places without special need. Birds leave their native territories only in case of crop failure or too adverse conditions. It turns out that the migration of jays is extremely irregular.

This bird is quite curious and noisy. Long flights are not characteristic of her. Most of the time, she prefers to jump on branches from one tree to another, snooping in the thickets of the forest.

Jay's voice is rattling, sharp. This species perfectly imitates the sounds of other birds or even the voice of a person. Actually, it is for this reason that the jay received the nickname "mockingbird". There are frequent cases when meowing or barking is suddenly heard in a dense forest: these are birds, having visited human habitation, remember the sounds they heard there.

In the winter cold, when it is difficult to dig out food from under the snow, mockingbirds tend to open places, often appearing on the outskirts of cities and villages.

Nutrition

The jay bird is a forest dweller, spending her whole life in the thicket. This species can eat not only vegetable, but also animal food. Most often, the food of mockingbirds is berries, seeds, insects, frogs, eggs of small birds, lizards. In addition, some jays attack chicks, small rodents, or young songbirds that are just learning to fly. They can also gather food on the ground by jumping.

The jay bird, the photo and description of which can be seen in this article, is quite smart. She stores acorns for the winter, collecting them and hiding them in her hiding places. Some individuals collect up to 4 kilograms of acorns. If a bird wants to eat a caterpillar that rustles under the bark, the jay can stick its head out and break the bark. In the same way, she gets other hiding insects. Very often, jay caches are discovered by squirrels or other birds that eat all the stocks.

However, often the jay does not even remember about its reserves. Such a short memory of a bird plays into the hands of oaks - forgotten acorns sprout, forming new oak forests.

reproduction

Jay nesting begins in early spring. Birds form pairs and begin to build a nest. For these purposes, they choose the darkest corners of the forest. They can build a nest coniferous trees, and on deciduous.

Nests are arranged on side branches raised above the ground to a height of 2-5 meters. They are twisted from branches, covering the inside with dry grass. It resembles a bowl with a diameter of about 20-30 centimeters, a depth of 15 centimeters. Down, feathers, wool, moss are laid on the grassy bottom of the mockingbird. Sometimes jays equip ready-made hollows as their home.

The female can lay 5-7 eggs, after which she incubates them for 16-17 days. The chicks hatch around mid-May. The first 20 days they are diligently fed by their parents. By the end of June, young jays fly out of the nest. Until the first days of autumn, the chicks try to stay close to their parents, after which they begin an independent life. Usually, young individuals from different families gather in a flock and look for a suitable place to live.

Lifespan

Jay bird in nature lives about 5-7 years. However, cases have been recorded when they lived to be 22 years old.

Enemies

The jay bird, the photo and description of which will be incomplete without a story about the dangers that await her in life, leads active image life. While the sun is shining, mockingbirds forage for their food. But as soon as night falls, the birds hide in the branches of trees. In bad weather or a winter snowstorm, jays find shelter under spruce branches.

The Mockingjay has many enemies in nature. The bird must be wary of predators and larger birds. An owl, a marten, a gray crow, and a goshawk can attack her. Nevertheless, the bird population retains its numbers. Currently there is no threat of extinction of the species.

Popularity and legends

Jay, whose photo will decorate any collection, is quite popular not only because of her good looks. There are more interesting skills for which people are ready to keep birds at home or attribute wonderful qualities to them.

So, jays are able to do more than just repeat sounds. There are cases when a bird repeated more than ten words, imitating not only words, but also a human voice.

In addition, some individuals are able to cope with the viper, which makes them a desirable pet in areas where these reptiles can often be found.

In some cultures, the jay is considered a kind of bird of happiness. However, among other nations it is believed that these birds bring bad luck.

In the American TV series The Big Bang Theory, one of the main characters, terribly afraid of birds, thanks to the jay, became their ardent admirer.

Great fame this species brought the recent film "Mockingjay", in which the bird was a symbol of freedom, the fight against oppression and injustice.

Well, one cannot help but recall the magnificent novel by Harper Lee "To Kill a Mockingbird". The mention of this bird in the book boils down to the fact that mockingbirds are very harmless, able to bring joy with their singing. They do not peck "cultivated" berries, do not make nests near human habitation. They just sing...