Green Jay
Cyanocorax yncas
Description: Green jays are 10 to 12 inches long. They are olive green on their backs and pale green on their bellies; The crown of the back of the head is blue and the face is patterned in blue and black. The upper breast is black, and the outer tail feathers are bright yellow.
General Information: Green jays are very noisy and conspicuous birds. They are often very tame and bold. They wander in small flocks and have a great curiosity. Human intrusion often draws them out of thick cover. When not during breeding season, green jays venture out into open areas.
Habitat: Dense thicket and woodlands along rivers.
Range: South Texas and Central America.
Reproduction: Green jays nest in a mass of sticks, 5 to 15 feet above the ground built in a small tree or thicket. 3 to 5 eggs are laid. They are white, green, or buff, spotted with brown. There is a 15 to 17 day incubation period by the female only. The young leave the nest 24 to 26 days after hatching.
Diet:
In the Wild: Insects, seed, fruit.
At the Zoo: Bananas, apples, oranges, romaine lettuce, carrots, dog chow, pecans, wild bird seed, meal worms, crickets, small pieces of bird of prey diet.
Interesting Facts: The green jay in our indoor aviary is quite gregarious, making loud vocalizations when you enter the aviary.