Azure jay
The azure jay is a Near Threatened species of passeriform bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and possibly Paraguay and Uruguay.
Taxonomy and systematics
The azure jay was originally described in 1818 as Pica coerulea, identifying it as a magpie. With its transfer to the genus Cyanocorax, its specific epithet ending was changed to the masculine "-us" to agree with the gender of this name. However, taxonomic systems do not agree on its spelling. AviList and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World use coeruleus to match the original spelling. The IOC, the Clements taxonomy, and the independent South American Classification Committee currently spell it caeruleus. This article uses the former spelling.The azure jay is monotypic. Some authors treat the azure jay and the purplish jay as a superspecies.
Description
The azure jay is long; one individual weighed. The sexes have the same plumage that includes a short bushy crest on the forecrown. Adults have a sooty or black head, neck, and upper breast. The rest of their plumage is somewhat variable, with cobalt-blue, purplish blue, and greenish blue individuals. They have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet.Distribution and habitat
The azure jay is found in Brazil from southern São Paulo south through Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul almost to Uruguay. Its range continues into the northeastern Argentinian provinces of Formosa, Chaco, Corrientes, and Misiones. Most sources include eastern Paraguay in its range. There are historical records there whose identification is disputed and sight records from the late 1900s. The SACC has no records in that country but includes Uruguay in its range. BirdLife International includes Uruguay and questions its presence in Paraguay.The azure jay inhabits humid evergreen forest, especially that dominated by Araucaria angustifolia. In elevation it ranges from sea level to.