The green jay (Cyanocorax luxuosus ) is a species of the New World jays, and is found in Central America. Adults are about 27 cm (11 in) long and variable in colour across their range; they usually have blue and black heads, green wings and mantle, bluish-green tails, black bills, yellow or brown eye rings, and dark legs. The basic diet consists of arthropods, vertebrates, seeds, and fruit. The nest is usually built in a thorny bush; the female incubates the clutch of three to five eggs. This is a common species of jay with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Green jay is a colorful and noisy tropical bird. It belongs to the New World jays that are found in the Americas. Adult birds are variable in color across their range; they usually have blue and black heads, green wings and mantle, bluish-green tails, black bills, yellow or brown eye rings, and dark legs. These birds have large nasal bristles that form a distinct tuft in some subspecies but are less developed in others. The color of the iris varies and ranges from dark brownish to bright yellow.
There are two distinct populations of Green jays. One population ranges from southern Texas to Honduras while the second one is found from Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia. In Southern Texas, Green jays inhabit woodlands and shrublands. In tropics, they are found in rain forests, plantations, and mountains.
Green jays are gregarious birds; they are often seen in family flocks that consist of a breeding pair and their offspring. They feed during the day and search for food on the ground, in the tree canopy, on branches, and lichens. Green jays are very agile fliers and may catch insects on the wing or pluck fruits and berries from the vegetation. During cold weather, these birds feed on various seeds which they will also cache. As with most of the typical jays, this species has a very extensive voice repertoire. Their most common call is a rassh-rassh-rassh sound, and one of the most distinctive calls sounds like an alarm bell.
Green jays are omnivores and their diet consists of arthropods, vertebrates, seeds, berries, and fruit. They will also eat small rodents, lizards, frogs, eggs, and nestlings of small birds.
Green jays are monogamous and form strong pair-bonds. They usually build a nest in a tree or in a thorny bush or thicket, and the female lays 3 to 5 eggs. Only the female incubates, but both parents take care of the young. Incubation lasts about 17-18 days. The chicks hatch naked and helpless. They will be able to leave the nest 19-22 days later but will still depend on their parents for 20 days or more.
Green jays are common throughout most of their wide range and don't face any major threats at present.
According to the What Bird resource the total population size of the Green jay is around 500,000 to 5,000,000 individuals. According to the All About Birds resource, the total breeding population size of the species is 880,000 breeding birds. Overall, currently, Green jays are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing.
