I know it’s not like blue jays are underappreciated or anything. but like. can we just take a minute to look at them? literally every time i see them i’m just like “WOW” because they’re so visually appealing
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Tag: corvidae
the hooded crow is a medium-sized crow species found in parts of europe and asia. they are one of few crow species with large amounts of a non-black color on the body, making them easy to differentiate from other black crows. they were once considered to be the same species as the carrion crow, as they sometimes hybridize, but genetic testing proved they are distinct species.
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the tamaulipas crow is found in a relatively small range of northeastern mexico and parts of southern texas. this medium-sized crow is easily distinguishable from most other crows by their plumage; while it’s common for crows to have somewhat iridescent feathers, the tamaulipas crow has noticeable purple & blue coloration in the right light.
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a flock of black-billed magpies, native to western north america, perch on a sheep. this behavior is noted in many corvid species, and is typically done so the birds can eat ticks off of the animal’s body, making it mutually beneficial for the birds and the sheep.
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a normally colored blue jay feeds a pure white offspring. it’s likely the young bird has leucism, a reduction in pigmentation. birds with abnormal coloration rarely make it to adulthood – many young birds don’t make it to their first year of life anyway, but added pressure from predators and rejection from other birds can affect birds with plumage differences.
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a nest full of baby common ravens. ravens are altricial, meaning that when they hatch, they are flightless and helpless, completely dependent on their parents. even after fledging the nest, the young rely on the parents for supplemental feeding.
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a leucistic black-billed magpie hangs out with normally-colored flockmates. normally, leucistic birds have shorter lifespans – melanin is component that strengthens feathers, and leucistic birds’ feathers degrade faster as a lack of that pigment; as well as making them more visible to predators.
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unlike most crows, several species of crow native to australia have light-colored eyes. the torresian crow has bright white irises. otherwise, australian crows are very similar to other continent’s crows.
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two blue jays investigate a feeding station. native to north america, blue jays are a member of the corvid family, which also includes crows and ravens. the corvid family is known for thee intelligence and recorded tool use in several species.
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an american crow preens another’s head. crows not only preen their mates, but other flock members. they are highly social and devoted to other members of their flock.
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today's bird 