Pinyon Jay

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(New page: Image:PinyonJay.JPG '''Common Name:''' Pinyon Jay<br> '''Scientific Name:''' Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus '''Size:''' 10.2-11.4 inches (26-29 cm); '''Wingspan:''' 18.1 inches (46 cm) '...)
Current revision (16:36, 26 October 2013) (view source)
 
It lives in foothills where pinyon-juniper woodland, sagebrush, scrub oak, and chaparral communities occur.
It lives in foothills where pinyon-juniper woodland, sagebrush, scrub oak, and chaparral communities occur.
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'''Status:''' Vulnerable. '''Global population:''' Unknown population.  Populations are declining due to the destruction of pinyon-juniper habitats to create grazing land for cattle. Changes in fire regimes has resulted in loss of many pinyon pines, threatening Pinyon Jay populations.
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'''Status:''' Vulnerable. '''Global population:''' Unknown population.  This species has undergone a large and statistically significant decrease over the last 40 years in North America (-74.8% decline over 40 years, equating to a -29.1% decline per decade). The major threat to this species is the destruction of its major habitat type, pinyon-juniper woodland. Land managers have followed a policy to eradicate this woodland, with the U.S. Forest Service classifying it as "non-commercial" and placing it in a "no-value" category. During the 1940s-1960s, major programs to eradicate the entire habitat were carried out, during which possibly millions of ''G. cyanocephalus'' died owing to habitat destruction. Currently herbicides, mechanical ploughing and fire are used to turn pinyon-juniper woodland into pasture land for cattle. Fire-suppression policies in south-west U.S.A. have led to huge, uncontrolled wildfires that consumed large areas of suitable habitat in the late 1990s. A "catastrophic" drought in the early 2000s also caused considerable mortality. The decline of pinyon pine and associated encroachment of juniper associated with global warming are primary factors restricting habitat and limiting reproductive success.
'''Diet:''' Seed, fruit, berries and insects. The seed of the Pinyon pine is the staple food but they supplement their diet with fruits and berries. Insects of many types are also eaten and sometimes caught with its feet.
'''Diet:''' Seed, fruit, berries and insects. The seed of the Pinyon pine is the staple food but they supplement their diet with fruits and berries. Insects of many types are also eaten and sometimes caught with its feet.
Although omnivorous, the Pinyon Jay is committed to the harvest, transport, caching, and later retrieval of pine seeds. It is aided by a relatively long, strong bill; an expandable esophagus; and long, strong wings. Individuals have excellent spatial memories that allow them to find most of their hidden seeds months after caching, even through snow.  Mated pairs of Pinyon Jays appear to coordinate their caching so that their cache locations are known to each other, especially the male. Although this behavior is difficult to observe in the wild, data from aviary observations and experiments confirm this arrangement.
Although omnivorous, the Pinyon Jay is committed to the harvest, transport, caching, and later retrieval of pine seeds. It is aided by a relatively long, strong bill; an expandable esophagus; and long, strong wings. Individuals have excellent spatial memories that allow them to find most of their hidden seeds months after caching, even through snow.  Mated pairs of Pinyon Jays appear to coordinate their caching so that their cache locations are known to each other, especially the male. Although this behavior is difficult to observe in the wild, data from aviary observations and experiments confirm this arrangement.
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The Pinyon Jay's bill is featherless at its base (hence the name ''Gymnorhinus'' = bare nostrils). Nearly all other members of the family Corvidae have feathers covering their nostrils. The Pinyon Jay can probe deep into pitch-laden cones without fouling the feathers that would cover the nostrils of other jays.
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The Pinyon Jay's bill is featherless at its base (hence the name ''Gymnorhinus'' = bare nostrils). Nearly all other members of the family ''Corvidae'' have feathers covering their nostrils. The Pinyon Jay can probe deep into pitch-laden cones without fouling the feathers that would cover the nostrils of other jays.
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'''Found in Songbird Remix Woodland Jewels'''
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'''Found in [http://hivewire3d.com/songbird-remix-woodland-jewels.html Songbird Remix Woodland Jewels]'''

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