Fun Purplish Jay Facts For Kids

This species of bird is of the Passeriformes order and belongs to the Corvidae family. They have a stable range and these birds are common throughout Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil, and parts of Bolivia and Uruguay.

The Cyanocorax cyanomelas species are quite drab and dull. It is only in sunlight that their purplish plumage is visible.

You would usually find these species of birds in a tropical or terrestrial forest. They also prefer a dry habitat like a degraded former forest and lowland forest. The purplish jay is a sociable bird and is seen to forage in flocks for food with the plush-crested jay.

As they are omnivorous birds, they are often seen eating insects, worms, snails, small frogs, fruits, nuts, and seeds. At times, they also feed on smaller birds and eggs of other species.

These birds are known to resemble crows. The head of this bird is black and gradually gets lighter at the neck till the mid-back. Towards the end of the tail, these bird species take on a more purplish-blue hue.

Having sharp claws, the feet of these birds are a light gray color. The tail of this bird has a deep purple pigment, almost similar to a midnight blue color. The purplish jay call can be quite noisy and loud.

If you'd like to discover more about other jays, check out our blue jay facts or our Stellar's jay facts that you are sure to enjoy!

Purplish Jay Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a purplish jay?

The purplish jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) bird species, which is of the Corvidae family, is a kind of jay that resembles a crow due to its crow-like head.

What class of animal does a purplish jay belong to?

These birds of the Passeriformes order belong to the class of Aves.

How many purplish jays are there in the world?

The exact number range of these jays is not known but since these birds have a Least Concern conservation status, their populations are quite stable and do not face any threats.

Where does a purplish jay live?

Purplish jays are quite common in a dry habitat like an open forest, a tropical dry forest, or even in low woodlands.

What is a purplish jay's habitat?

The habitat of these purplish jays is in open forests, moist woodlands, tropical and subtropical forests. They move in groups from one canopy of tall trees to the other and are quite noisy.

Who does purplish jay live with?

These purplish jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) birds of the Corvidae family are known to live in groups.

How long does a purplish jay live?

Animal researchers have stated that the purplish jay bird species are recorded to live for about seven years. One captive purplish jay female lived for about 26 years.

How do they reproduce?

These species of bird are known to make pairs and bond for life. Not much is known about their reproductive behavior but like all jays, they are protective of their nesting areas and will let out a shrill, high-pitched sound if an intruder tries to get in.

Their nests are made up of twigs, leaves, and broken branches. The nest of these birds is cup-shaped and situated high on treetops.

The female lays about three to four eggs that are white with blue with reddish spots on them. The female then incubates them for about 17-18 days.

What is their conservation status?

These birds have been assigned a Least Concern status by the IUCN. Given this conservation status, the population of these birds is said to be stable and they are quite common in their range.

Purplish Jay Fun Facts

What does the purplish jay look like?

This bird species, which come from the same family as crows, magpies, and ravens, are medium-sized birds that are native to parts of Latin America. Having a strong beak, the head of this bird is dark black and is similar to that of a crow.

The neck of this bird is a light grayish color that slowly turns grayish-blue at the back. Their long tail takes on a deeper blue which looks purple under bright light.

How cute are they?

These birds are dull and plain-looking so they are not very attractive, except for when their purple plumage is seen. Although these species come from the family of crows and ravens, their grayish-blue appearance makes them look like the common pigeon.

How do they communicate?

The purplish jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) communicates using its body and calls. They take great pleasure in mimicking owls and certain hawk species. The male purplish jay is also seen offering up insects, worms, and fruits to the female during the mating season.

How big is a purplish jay?

The purplish jay species is about 13.7 in (34.7 cm) in length and is the same size as that of a crow.

How fast can a purplish jay fly?

Although the exact speed at which these species fly is not known, these birds are average fliers.

How much does a purplish jay weigh?

These species of the Corvidae family and Cyanocorax genus weigh about 7.3 oz (207 g), the same as a bronze-winged pionus!

What are the male and female names of the species?

The purplish jay species does not have a specific male and female name. They go by their common name which is purplish jay or they can be referred to by their scientific name which is Cyanocorax cyanomelas.

What would you call a baby purplish jay?

A baby purplish jay is called a chick.

What do they eat?

These Cyanocorax genus species are omnivorous. Hence, they eat a lot of insects, spiders, worms, fruits, seeds, and nuts. They also eat small eggs and birds of other species.

Are they dangerous?

These birds are not necessarily dangerous but they attack if provoked. In particular, if their nests or eggs are disturbed, the birds will not hesitate to attack the intruder.

Would they make a good pet?

The purplish jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) would not make a good pet given its loud and wild nature. Therefore, it is best to leave these birds in their natural habitat where they thrive best.

Did you know...

A group of purplish jays is called a 'scold' or 'band' of jays!

Do purplish jays migrate?

Very little is known about the migration of these birds but since they are jays, they probably do migrate in flocks from range to range. In fact, their large range describes them as being 'fairly common to common'.

How long does it take purplish jay fledglings to fly?

Purplish jay fledglings take about 16-22 days to leave the nest and learn to fly. At times, an ambitious chick may wander off on its own at an earlier stage.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Florida scrub-jay facts and scrub-jay facts for kids .

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our free printable purplish jay bird coloring pages.

Second image by Dominic Sherony.