The black-headed jay or lanceolated jay (''Garrulus lanceolatus'') is roughly the same size as its close relative the

Eurasian jay The Eurasian jay (''Garrulus glandarius'') is a species of passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The ...

, but a little more slender overall except for the bill which is slightly shorter and thicker. The top of the head is black and it has a more obvious crest too and a longer tail. It ranges from eastern Afghanistan eastwards, across the Himalayas, from India to Nepal and Bhutan. It occurs in wooded country with large areas of open ground rather than dense forest. It also occurs in some cultivated areas and even near villages as long as there are enough trees and scrubland nearby. It feeds both on the ground and in trees, and takes virtually the same wide range of plant and animal foods as its close relative, including

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

s and nestlings, as well as scraps near human habitation. It nests in trees and suitable bushes and in this resembles the Eurasian jay in every respect. There are usually 3–5 eggs incubated over 16 days. Both parents feed the young. The voice is very similar to its close relative too and is most often a loud screech but with longer pauses between.

Gallery

File:Black-headed Jay Pangot Uttarakhand India 04.10.2014.jpg, left, ''Garrulus lanceolatus'' from Pangot, Uttarakhand, India at an altitude of around 6300 ft. File:Black-headed-jay-rkd.jpg, The black-headed jay (Garrulus lanceolatus) at Palampur in Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. File:Black-headed Jay.JPG, Black-headed Jay near Gallu temple in Himachal File:Black-headed jay DSCN0166 1.jpg, Black-headed Jay at Sattal

References

External links

Avibase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1586915

black-headed jay The black-headed jay or lanceolated jay (''Garrulus lanceolatus'') is roughly the same size as its close relative the Eurasian jay, but a little more slender overall except for the bill which is slightly shorter and thicker. The top of the head ...

Birds of Afghanistan Birds of Pakistan Birds of North India Birds of Nepal

Taxa named by Nicholas Aylward Vigors