Bird Name:
Black-throated Magpie-jay
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Latin Name:
Calocitta colliei
Status:
Least Concern
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Calocitta
Species: C. colliei
General Information:
The Black-throated Magpie-jay is a long-tailed jay occurring in northwestern Mexico. It can often be found in pairs or small groups.
Physical Description:
The Black-throated Magpie-jay is usually between 23 and 30 inches long, with its tail accounting for more than half the length. On average, it weighs 225 - 251 g. The upperparts of this magpie-jay are blue with white tips to the tail feathers. The underparts are white. The head and rather conspicuous crest are black, along with the feet and bill. They possess a pale blue crescent above and below the eye. Sexes are similar. The juveniles have white crest tips and smaller eye patches that are darker in color.
Diet:
This bird is omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of food including nuts, invertebrates, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and on occasion carrion.
Habitat:
The Black-throated Magpie-jay occurs in woodland and semi-open areas along the Pacific Slope of Mexico, ranging from southern Sonora down to Jalisco and northwestern Colima. Its nest resembles a big cup of sticks lined with softer materials, and is often placed high in a thorny tree for protection.
Reproduction:
Nesting season is from November to July. A female lays 3 - 7 brown and gray-spotted white eggs per clutch. She incubates the eggs for 16 - 21 days, during which time she is fed by her mate and does not leave the nest. The Black-throated Magpie-jay seems to hybridize with the White-throated Magpie-jay in Jalisco and Colima. Because they are often found in small family groups, the oldest pair in the group will act as breeders while the other help in nest construction and feeding the young after they are born.