Species of bird
The
azure-naped jay
(
Cyanocorax heilprini
) is a species of
bird
in the family
Corvidae
.
It is found in
Brazil
,
Colombia
, and
Venezuela
.
Its natural
habitats
are
subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
and subtropical or tropical dry
shrubland
.
Taxonomy
[
edit
]
The Azure-naped jay was first described by Alan F. Gentry based on a single specimen, marked as a male, from the T. B. Wilson Collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia
.
[2]
The
genus
Cyanocorax
comes from the
Ancient Greek
kuanos
(dark blue) and
korax
(raven). The species epithet
heilprini
honours Gentry's friend, Professor
Angelo Heilprin
.
[3]
There are two identified
subspecies
:
Description
[
edit
]
The back is dark brown, as are the upper sides of the wings and tail. The rear crown and nape are bright lavender blue. The front and sides of the head are black, with the feathers of the forecrown and forehead curled up and forwards in a short bushy crest. From the chin to the centre of the breast the bird is dark violaceous-grey. The lower breast and belly are violaceous, fading to white on the lower belly and vent. The eyes are pale to yellowish-white and the bill, feet and legs are black.
[6]
Distribution and Habitat
[
edit
]
This species is a native resident species of the Amazon basin, found from Southeast Colombia to Southwest Venezuela (Amazonas) and extreme northwest Brazil.
[7]
It is a bird of the lower tropical zone, found at altitudes of 250m and below. Its preferred habitat is stunted forests, forest edges and second growth on sandy soils in the upper
Rio Negro
basin, as well as in lighter savannah woodland.
[6]
Two recent surveys of birds Amazon basin found the Azure-naped jay is endemic to areas of
white sand forest
, and is not found in nearby areas of nearby terra firme forests, seasonally flooded forests and Amazonian savannas.
[8]
[9]
Behaviour
[
edit
]
These birds are found in noisy groups that travel slowly, foraging at all levels. They are wary of observers and will utter alarm cries, taking turns to observe an intruder before moving on, or simply disappear into surrounding vegetation.
[6]
Status
[
edit
]
The azure-naped jay is rated a species of Least Concern by Birdlife International, because it occurs over a very large range and the population, though declining, is not thought to be declining rapidly enough to reach the threshold of Vulnerable status.
[7]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
BirdLife International (2016).
"
Cyanocorax heilprini
"
.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
.
2016
: e.T22705717A94032327.
doi
:
10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705717A94032327.en
. Retrieved
12 November
2021
.
- ^
Gentry, Alan F. (1885).
"Description of a New Species of the Genus Cyanocorax"
.
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
.
37
. Methuen & co., ltd.: 90
. Retrieved
24 January
2021
.
- ^
Jobling, James A. (2010).
The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names : from aalge to zusii
. London: Christopher Helm. p. 126.
ISBN
978-1-4081-2501-4
.
- ^
Cohn-Haft, Mario; dos Santos Junior, Marcelo A.; Fernandes, Alexandre M.; Ribas, Camila C., in (2013).
Handbook of the birds of the world: New Species and Global Index
. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. pp. 48?53.
ISBN
978-8496553880
. Retrieved
24 January
2021
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
Part 9. Oscine Passeriformes, A (Vireonidae to Sturnidae).
"A classification of the bird species of South America"
.
www.museum.lsu.edu
. South American Classification Committee
. Retrieved
24 January
2021
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
a
b
c
Restall, Robin L.; Rodner, Clemencia; Lentino, Miguel (2007).
Birds of northern South America : an identification guide
. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 576?577.
ISBN
978-0-300-10862-0
.
- ^
a
b
"Species factsheet: Cyanocorax heilprini"
.
BirdLife International (2021)
. Retrieved
24 January
2021
.
- ^
Borges, Sergio Henrique; Whittaker, Andrew; Almeida, Ricardo Afonso Machado de (August 2014).
"Bird diversity in the Serra do Araca region, northwestern Brazilian Amazon: preliminary check-list with considerations on biogeography and conservation"
.
Zoologia (Curitiba)
.
31
(4): 358.
doi
:
10.1590/S1984-46702014000400006
.
ISSN
1984-4670
.
- ^
Borges, Sergio Henrique; Cornelius, Cintia; Ribas, Camila; Almeida, Ricardo; Guilherme, Edson; Aleixo, Alexandre; Dantas, Sidnei; Santos, Marcos Persio Dos; Moreira, Marcelo (June 2016). "What is the avifauna of Amazonian white-sand vegetation?".
Bird Conservation International
.
26
(2): 6.
doi
:
10.1017/S0959270915000052
.
S2CID
88411073
.
|
---|
|
|
|
|
---|
Azure-winged
magpies
| |
---|
Grey
jays
| |
---|
New World
jays
| |
---|
|
|