Jay is a bird of the family of the

Jay is a bird, a representative of a group of passerines, the family of the Voran. Small, weighing not more than 200 grams. It lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests, prefers old parks. Especially loved by her forests with a dense undergrowth and a bush. The habitat is quite extensive. Jay is a bird that inhabits practically all European territory, the Caucasus, the countries of Asia Minor and Southeast Asia, and North Africa. It occurs in Siberia, on Sakhalin.

Appearance and character

The bird jay, the photo of which you can see above, is easily recognizable by the bright orange plumage, black wings and tail, bright blue feathers on the shoulders and black "mustaches". During the alarm on the top of the mottled head, feathers rise, forming a bright crest. Jay - the bird is very sensitive, it instantly reacts to extraneous sounds and loudly notifies the district of the approach of an uninvited guest. For this her name is "forest policeman". By vigilance, it is not inferior to the magpies, known for their waryness and talkativeness. Instantly reacting to the appearance of squirrels, birds of prey and anyone who can ruin birds' nests, she notifies the forest about the approaching danger. However, during the nesting period the character of the bird changes. She becomes secretive and silent, subordinating all her actions to caring for her offspring.

Reproduction

Female and male arrange their nest together, alternately bringing for its construction small twigs, dry grass and feathers. Jay prefers to fasten his house on large branches, next to the tree trunk at a height of one and a half to five meters from the ground, but sometimes prefer hollow trees. Despite the fact that this bird is a forest bird, it is not uncommon for its nests to meet in cities. Eggs are hatching, and in the masonry there are up to 10 of them, both partners take turns. The hatched chicks of the parent are fed with small caterpillars and larvae, and as soon as they grow up a little, insects go into the food. Ornithologists note that the food is brought to the nest by the father and passes it to the female, which already feeds the chicks. Unlike other birds, if the jays have noticed the danger, they can drag their offspring into a safer place.

Food

Jay is a bird of prey. In addition to constant bugs, caterpillars, spiders, earthworms, mollusks, lizards and frogs in her diet, she does not disdain small birds, sometimes ruining their nests and eating chicks, in addition to eggs. Considering the benefits that jays bring by eating harmful insects, such as weevil, May beetle, various leafgrasses and silkworm caterpillars, it is forgiven for the minor damage it causes to the ruin of bird nests. In addition, the jay eats berries, mushrooms, small fruits and even potatoes. In the autumn their main food is acorns, which they collect for storage. Found "pantries" of sap, in which there were up to 4 kilograms of acorns.

Bird-mockingbird

One of the distinctive abilities of a jay is her ability to imitate the voices of other birds and animals, including the voice of a person. Her own voice is loud and unattractive, but her "mockery" is very funny. A bird jay lends itself to training, but only on condition that it lives on the free will. With sufficient patience and persistence, the jay can be taught to say a few words, a proper name and whistle simple melodies. However, this ability manifests itself if the bird trusts its breadwinner. Caged in a cage, the jay becomes sullen, "taciturn."