Jay - a bird, a representative of the detachmentpasserine, the family of the Vranovs. 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 South-East Asia, and North Africa. It occurs in Siberia, on Sakhalin.
Bird jay, a photo of which you can see above,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 bird 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.
The female and the 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. Hatch eggs, and in the masonry there are up to 10 pieces, 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 bit, 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.
Jay is a bird of prey.In addition to the 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, she is forgiven for the minor damage she brings 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. They found "pantries" of sap, in which there were up to 4 kilograms of acorns.
One of the distinctive abilities of a jayis 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 jay bird lends itself to training, but only on condition that it lives in freedom. With sufficient patience and perseverance, the jay can be taught to pronounce a few words, a proper name and whistle simple melodies. However, this ability manifests itself if the bird trusts its breadwinner. Caged in the cage, the jay becomes sullen, "taciturn."
