Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius

Features

The Eurasian jay is a timid bird, so more than by its appearance, it is recognisable by its call, which is a loud and hoarse scream that it produces as a warning when it notices danger. It often also imitates the predator's sound.

Species	Bird
Living space	Conifer forest, Deciduous forest
Size	34 cm
Weight	160 g

Description

In most of its body, the Eurasian jay is grey-brown with a touch of pink. It is white on the throat and around the buttocks. Along its beak, which is dark and strong, it has a pair of strong black spots that look like moustaches. The European jay has a slightly brighter top of the head with dark stripes. Its wings are black and white, and light blue with black stripes on the fold. During flight, a white rump is visible on the basis of its otherwise black tail. It is an omnivore that feeds predominantly on acorn, nuts, seeds and insects, and occasionally it also feeds on chicks of other birds in nests as well as on small mammals. In autumn, it persistently accumulates acorn and buries it in hiding places in the soil far around. By doing this, it plays an important role in the spread and maintenance of oak forests. It nests in different types of forests and in larger overgrown parks. The Eurasian jay usually keeps to the same place throughout the year.