Violaceous jay
The violaceous jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and possibly Guyana.
Taxonomy and systematics
The violaceous jay was originally described in 1847 as Cyanocorax violaceus, its current binomial.The violaceous jay has two subspecies, the nominate C. v. violaceus and C. v. pallidus.
Description
The violaceus jay is long and weighs about. The sexes have similar plumage. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a blackish forecrown and a blackish or dark sepia crown and sides of the head and neck. Their nape is pale bluish white that becomes pale blue at the base of the nape. Their upper back is pale violaceous blue and the rest of their upperparts a darker violaceous blue. Their primaries are blackish with violaceous blue on their outer edges. Their tail is indigo-blue. Their throat and upper breast are the same blackish or dark sepia as the sides of the head, and the rest of their underparts are violaceous blue. The undersides of their wings and tail have a blackish tinge. Adult females have a grayish tinge on their underparts and are otherwise like males. Subspecies C. v. pallidus has the same pattern as the nominate but is significantly paler overall. Juveniles are overall slightly grayer than adults. Both subspecies have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet.Distribution and habitat
The violaceous jay is primarily a bird of the western Amazon Basin. Subspecies C. v. pallidus is the more northerly of the two and has a much smaller range than the nominate. It is found in northern and northeastern Anzoátegui state in northern Venezuela. The nominate subspecies is found in Venezuela from southern Anzoátegui south through Amazonas. It also is found on the eastern side of the Andes from Portuguesa south to Táchira. Its range continues south through western Brazil and the eastern half of Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru into northern Bolivia. The eastern edge of its Brazilian range follows a line roughly from Roraima south to western Mato Grosso. Though some sources include Guyana in the species' range, the South American Classification Committee has no documented records and callis it "unconfirmed" in that country.The violaceous jay inhabits a variety of forested landscapes both primary and secondary. It tends to be more numerous along watercourses. In Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru it favors várzea forest. In Venezuela it ranges in elevation up to and in Brazil to. In Colombia it is found below, in Ecuador mostly below, and in Peru mostly below but locally as high as.