| Siberian Jay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | animalia |
| Phylum: | chordata |
| Class: | aves |
| Order: | passeriformes |
| Family: | corvidae |
| Genus: | perisoreus |
| Species: | perisoreus infaustus |
The Siberian jay (perisoreus infaustus) is a small corvid.
Description
This bird is about the size of a big thrush and has a short beak. Mainly greyish-brown in colouring, with darker brown cap and brighter rust-coloured markings on rump, edges of tail and leading edges of wings. The tail is quite long.[1]
Habits
The Siberian Jay is known to wilderness travelers as a very inquisitive and fearless species, which can be seen near camps and fires and even take food if such is left nearby.[2]
Voice
This bird's vocabulary is quite varied, but all vocalizations are rather subdued. Song is an insignificant twittering.[3]
Feeding
The Siberian jay is omnivorous. It steals chicks and eggs from nests kills small rodents, invertebrates and birds up to the size of a tit, and feeds on berries too. Feeds from all kinds of carrion. It often stores food in trees.
Breeding
The egg laying period normally starts in the first half of April. Parents produce a single brood per season with a variable but small clutch size range: 1-5. Incubation feeding by males allows females to incubate their eggs and newly hatched chicks almost continuously. Older nestlings (> 7 days) are provided with food by both parents. Fledging takes place in mid May through early June 18-24 days after the first chick has hatched. Offspring is provided with food for about 3 weeks after fledging. Most first-year birds disperse within 8 weeks after fledging.[4]