Bird Guide

Violaceous Jay vs White-throated Magpie-Jay

Violaceous Jay (Cyanocorax violaceus)

Violaceous Jay

Cyanocorax violaceus

Medium262 gForest

The violaceus jay is 33 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in) long and weighs about 260 g (9.2 oz). 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. Voice: The violaceous jay's typical call is "a downwardly inflected Jeeeer! given several times". It also makes "a clop-clop-clop-clop, various quiet chortling gurgles, a descending ripple, and a guttural clicking".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Violaceous Jay
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, calls · Sucumbíos: Mirador de Lumbaqui, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Lucas Illanes · CC BY 4.0
White-throated Magpie-Jay (Cyanocorax formosus)

White-throated Magpie-Jay

Cyanocorax formosus

Medium210 gWoodland

The white-throated magpie-jay is between 43 and 56 cm (17–22 in) in length and weighs 205 to 213 g (7.2–7.5 oz). The species has a particularly long tail and a slightly curved crest of feathers on the head. The crest is black in the nominate race, but has blue or white margins on the other two subspecies. The nominate race has a white face with a black crown and margin to the face, forming a narrow band around the throat, as well as a small drop below the eye. The black is less extensive in the other subspecies.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Violaceous Jay and White-throated Magpie-Jay.