PLUSH-CRESTED JAY Cyanocorax chrysops
When it comes to avian intelligence the term "bird-brain" does not apply to the Jays. They are amongst the cleverest birds, capable of rational thought to overcome problems that they face. A typical example of their ingenuity was told to me by Hans Hostettler at PROCOSARA. In an attempt to protect his banana crop from marauding Jays he covered them with a bag that was tied tightly at the stem. Unable to get direct access to the bananas, the Jays switched to plan B. They cut the stem with their powerful bills, and ripped the bag open once the bananas fell to the floor! Jays 1 Humans 0!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE3274PH) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Lars Hansen February 2006).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE3275PH) Adult ventral,  PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Laura Tensen March 2008)
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE3276PH) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3277PH) Adult head turning, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE3278PH) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE3279PH) Adult tossing food into bill, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE3280PH) Adult displacing juvenile, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE3281PH) Adult tail raising, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 9 - (FPAVE3282PH) Adult ventral, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Matt Denton October 2010).
FIGURE 10 - (FPAVE3283PH) Adult in flight, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 11 - (FPAVE3284PH) Juvenile preening, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 12 - (FPAVE3285PH) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February 2006).
FIGURE 13 - (FPAVE3286PH) Same individual as (FPAVE3285PH)  upperwing (Paul Smith February 2006).
FIGURE 14 - (FPAVE3287PH) Juvenile, PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Kevin Guest February 2012)
VIDEO A - (FPAVE3288VI) Adult foraging on ground, Itabó Itaipú Reserve, Departamento Alto Paraná (Paul Smith September 2006).
VIDEO B - (FPAVE3289VI) Adult ventral, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith April 2010).
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Lars Hansen, Kevin Guest (bushbirds.co.uk), Laura Tensen, Matt Denton and Sylvia Qu and is used with their permission.
Cyanocorax chrysops
1 (FPAVE3290REI) Chek and trill call recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
2 (FPAVE3291RE) Chok call recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
3 (FPAVE3292RE) Chyoo call recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
4 (FPAVE3293RE) Rattle and mew recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.