The azure jay (Cyanocorax caeruleus ) (Brazilian Portuguese: Gralha-azul, meaning blue jackdaw ) is a passeriform bird of the crow family, Corvidae. It is found in the Atlantic Forest, especially with Araucaria angustifolia, in south-eastern Brazil (São Paulo to Rio Grande do Sul), far eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. It is the state bird of Paraná.
It is said that a black crow was on an araucaria tree, when it was scared by the sound of a man trying to take down the tree with an axe. Saddened by the destruction of its home, the crow flew to the sky, when it heard a voice saying that it would be painted with the color of the sky, and be guardian of the trees. And as a guardian of the araucaria trees, even guns would deny fire towards it.
This folklore is based mostly on the habit this bird has to bury araucaria seeds to consume later, helping the spread of the tree across the region, and being considered the greater disseminator of the species.
But above that, it shows the importance the araucaria tree, and the azure jay have to the people of Parana. It is the official symbol of the state (State Law n. 7957 of 1984), it gives name to the highest prize in theatrical arts of Parana (Azure Jay Trophy), and is the symbol of the soccer team Parana Clube.
It also inspired the comicbook superhero O Gralha (the Jay/The Crow), a superhero created by artists of Curitiba.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe azure jay has a total length of approximately 40 cm (16 in) and it weighs about 270 g (9.5 oz), and is the largest South American corvid. Its plumage is intensely blue with a contrasting black head and upper chest. Males and females are similar, although the females typically are smaller.
Its breeding season is from October to January. This bird is a social breeder. It lays 2–4 eggs and its nest is made of sticks. It is placed 10–20 m (33–66 ft) above the ground in an Araucaria tree.
It feeds extensively on the nut-like seeds of Araucaria angustifolia, but it is not strictly limited to this since it also feeds on insects and fruit. As other corvids, azure jays are highly intelligent. Their communication is complex, consisting of at least 14 distinct vocalizations. They form groups of 4 to 15 individuals that are well organized in hierarchies. These groups remain stable for up to two generations.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...