Immature Yucatan Jay is a photograph by Teresa Zieba which was uploaded on December 26th, 2012.
Immature Yucatan Jay
The Yucatan Jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicus) is a species of bird in the Corvidae family, the crows and their allies. It is found in Belize, Guatemala,... more
by Teresa Zieba
Title
Immature Yucatan Jay
Artist
Teresa Zieba
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Yucatan Jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicus) is a species of bird in the Corvidae family, the crows and their allies. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, and southern Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and heavily degraded former forest. Adults are black, with cerulean blue wings, mantle, and tail. They have black bills, black eye rings, and yellow legs. Juvenile Yucatan Jays have completely yellow bare parts and white, rather than black, body plumage. They molt out of the white plumage by September or October, but retain the yellow bill and eye ring for a few more months. They also have pale-tipped retrices, which the adults lack.
Yucatan jays are cooperative breeders, with younger birds helping the breeding pair to raise the chicks. The jay lays 4-6 pinkish-buff eggs in a poorly constructed platform nest close to canopy height near the forest edge. They are omnivores, adapting their diet to take advantage of seasonally available plant and animal material as it changes in abundance.
This species has a large range and a large, increasing population. It does not appear to be under threat from the rapid and intense development of the coastal Yucatan to the "Riviera Maya."
Uploaded
December 26th, 2012
