#869: Yucatan Jay

(This is a juvenile, still retaining his yellow bill but having his adult plumage.)

The Yucatan Jay is a Central America corvid, native to the Yucatan Peninsula. He inhabits tropical forest and subtropical dry forests, as well as colonising heavily degraded areas. Fledglings are white feathered. As they mature, they moult into their blue and black adult plumage, but retain their yellow beak, feet and eye rings for up to four years. Breeding is cooperative, with the juveniles helping raise their younger siblings.

#643: Raven

Raven is the name given to several large members of the Corvid Family, mostly represented by the Common Raven. She has a cosmopolitan distribution, occuring across North America and Europe. Intelligent and resourceful, she is a generalist feeder. Juvenile Ravens form small flocks, during which the male will begin to court a female, although they do not pair-bond for 2-3 years. Once bonded, they form a life-long monogamous partnership. Ravens can live a long time, over 40 years in captivity, sometimes over 20 in the wild. They are capable of problem-solving, imitation and insight, making them one of the most intelligent non-primates in the world.

Creature Feature #522: Nutcracker

The Nutcracker are three members of the Corvid Family. Their bills are specially adapted to feed on the nuts of pine trees. Using his bill, he removes the seeds, and stores the surplus for later consumption. As many as 30,000 seeds will be stored, and the bird will remember the location of around 70% of these. The remainder are left, sometimes to sprout, and thus help to re-establish pine forests in areas that have suffered fire or logging. Breeding occurs early in the season, with the nest being built in a pine tree, and both parents care for the offspring.

This is a Spotted Nutcracker, found across Eurasia. Other species include the Large-spotted Nutcracker, of the HImalayas and Clarks Nutcracker, who has colonised North America.

Creature Feature #443: Magpie

The Magpies are various members of the Corvidae Family, spread across three Genera. The most commonly recognised are the Pica Genus, which contains the piebald birds such as this Eurasian Magpie. The Magpie is an intelligent bird, capable of recognising that it is himself in the mirror. He has also been observed engaging in social rituals such as grieving, as well as problem solving and tool use. He forms a monogamous partnership, and will only seek another if his mate is lost.