FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
A Mexican jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) is a small crow like bird with blue gray plumage. It has a blue head, pale underparts, a black bill, and a long tail. Their visual attributes may sometimes be insufficient to differentiate between similar species of jays, especially in photos. This includes the Transvolcanic jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina), the Pinyan jay with its darker plumage, and the popular blue jay.
Mexican jays are omnivores, just like blue jays. They are found in several parts of Mexico, including central Mexico and southwestern New Mexico.
Just like the blue jay, Mexican jays are found in southern states in North America including southeastern Arizona, and the big bend portion of Texas. The blue jay is also found in Florida. The jay Mexican is also a passerine, a melodious songbird. These birds are gloriously celebrated for their musical vocal chords when the seasons change, especially during the months of March, June, and August.
You may also check out the fact files on pinyon jay and blue jay from Kidadl.
It is a crow like bird, although this bird species is far more colorful.
This jay belongs to the Aves class.
The exact count of Mexican jays in the wild is undetermined. Experts estimate that there are thousands of these birds in their native home range spread across North America and South America.
This jaybird is found in the woods in its native home range on mountains, amidst thick oak woodlands.
The natural habitat of a Mexican jay bird lies up in the mountains, nestled within oak woodlands in both North American states and South American countries. It is commonly found in this relatively large home range including Texas, southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and several parts of central Mexico.
A Mexican jay is a social bird, living in a group of 20-25 birds within its native home range. Each flock has smaller groups of four to seven group members in size, so they function much like a family with individual members.
Many of these birds go on live for almost two decades or 20 years in their home range.
Mexican jays are mostly monogamous in nature. In some cases, they may have a couple of partners within their flock. They have a characteristic mating ritual during the breeding season. The breeding season also coincides with the wet season in their native home range including south Arizona, the big bend portion of Texas, southwestern New Mexico, and several areas of central Mexico. This ensures that their favored diet of acorns and pine nuts is easily available to feed their young ones.
During this time, a male kicks off the season as he begins to build a nest in a preferred breeding site. He then woos his partner through a mating call which sounds much like a musical whisper. He will also go around his partner with a raised tail to reiterate his interest. When the female responds positively, the pair mate within a few seconds. After mating, the female continues building the nest.
Only the primary male female couple is responsible for building nests for their young ones and for incubating the eggs. Other members of individual groups within a flock also visit the nest. They help to forage food, feed young ones, and warn off other birds in their group and flock territory from predators.
A female Mexican jay has an incubation period of under three weeks. The individual eggs are typically blue in color. They may also be a speckled brown or blue and green, like the eggs in Texas. In Arizona, the eggs have a distinct green tinge.
Once the eggs hatch, they are cared for by multiple members of their group. This system mimics the human family setup, where the offspring of a male or female remains with the parent and help to care for siblings.
The conservation status of Mexican jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) birds is Least Concern. Their population is stable which means no conservation is needed currently.
A Mexican jay looks like a more colorful variation of the humble crow, a similar species. These birds are characterized by their blue plumage with gray underparts. In fact, they were earlier called the gray breasted jay. They appear in the wild with a blue head and tail, brown eyes, and a dark, black bill. Young ones may begin with a more pale colored bill with a pinkish tinge, but the color turns gradually darker as they grow into adults. In fact, their black bill is a distinguishing character trait among similar jay species. Their long tail also takes on deeper hues with time. Finally, Mexican jays are small in size, comparable to the popular blue jay. Their visual traits have them looking similar to many other jay species. They may not always be easily identifiable, especially in photos.
They are a mighty cute bird species due to their tiny size, musical voice, and family friendly nature.
These passerine songbirds are very vocal with their communication. They are characterized by their melodious calls, sounding much like a musical 'wheet'. Their mating calls sound almost like a whisper. In contrast, their alarm calls are more shrill in pitch and loud enough to get the attention of fellow members within their group. This is especially necessary to protect these small birds from larger birds of prey.
A Mexican jay is a small bird and weighs less than 5 oz (150 g). It is also 11-12 in (27–30 cm) in length, and is almost the same size as the famous American robin.
All jays are considered decent fliers with a speed of 18-24 mph (30–40 kph). This speed can increase when they come across a bird of prey.
A Mexican jay is a small songbird, weighing between 3-5 oz (100-150 g).
Both males and females in this bird species are called Mexican jays.
A baby Mexican jay is called a nestling as they are nest bound, or a fledgling, as they are yet to fly.
The Mexican jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) birds are omnivores. They feed on a diet that is available in plenty in their North American and South American home range. This includes acorns, insects, nuts, plants, fruit seeds, and small reptiles. While not a main portion of their diet, they do eat eggs as well as nestlings of other birds.
Mexican jays are not dangerous to humans.
In theory, these birds can make good pets. However, they thrive in their family habitat where a bird is surrounded by its offspring, which is hard to recreate in a home environment.
These jay Mexican songbirds are intentionally followed by northern flickers, small woodpecker like birds, especially in winter. As both bird species are vulnerable to larger birds of prey, northern flickers use the loud alarm calls of these jays to hide from predators.
As the name indicates, the Mexican jay is native to Mexico. Their home range includes a significant part of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental region. Today, these birds are also found in North America, in southeastern Arizona, and in the Big Bend region of Texas.
Mexican jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) birds are considered non-migratory in nature. They thrive in a natural habitat of oak woodlands in mountain regions, where their favored food is available in plenty in a large home range, spreading across several North and South American states and countries.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our dusky hrush bird facts and Hepatic Tanager facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our flying mexican jay coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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