co its colorful plumage and its active behavior probably is the jay familiar much. One however usually only then becomes aware from the family of the raven-birds on this bird if it lets its "rattling", one loud and intent reputation, sound and from it-flies skillfully through trees and undergrowth. The hunters therefore are not good to speak on the jay since this quite sensitive "early-warning-system" urges the caution also on other forest-inhabitants.
Food But also its preference for the eggs and squabs of other types, that it divides with its next relatives, the magpies and crows, didn't earn it any good reputation. Mainly however, jays look u for worms after smaller animal food (insects). ä.) and after acorns, beechnuts, nuts, berries and other plant-seeds. Altogether, the vegetable share probably prevails in the food-offer.
Spread Jays live in both dense forests and relaxed timbers of the entire paläarktischen region as far as to Japan, also in the Mediterranean-area and in the western North-Africa, they are at home and from old-age-ago well-known.
Shape The end-coloring of the individual races varies strongly, however all forms have them blue gebänderten wing-decks, immediately behind it a white stain and a white Bürzel together. Still typically for the 34 cm big and approximately 175 g is heavy bird the aufstellbaren head-feathers and a black "beard-strip." The shining blue of the wing-feathers is no stored dye but is founded on an inflection of the light in the deck-feathers.
Reproduction The nests of the jays are relatively small and flat, both partners erbrüten the 5-6 (rarely up to 8) eggs together for 16-17 days. Although the eggs are put on different days, the boys slip approximately at the same time, they are bare and blind as typical nest-stools and are looked after by both parents. After 19-20 days, they then become fully-fledged. Jays pull up only one yearly-brood (beginning April-May).
Reputations Beside "rattling", these jays still have a big repertoire at their disposal at further reputations that also they frequently give downright chants of itself, in which imitated lutes of other bird-types could contain.
Scientific name: