Eurasian Jay

Eurasian jays range widely through temperate Europe and Asia, primarily inhabiting wooded country and areas near settlements. Dense trees, shrubs, and undergrowth provide cover, while oak woodland supplies important food and coniferous forest offers nesting sites. Adults average 34 centimetres long, span about 55 centimetres, and weigh roughly 170 grams. Their reddish-brown plumage is marked by a speckled crest, black moustache stripes and tail, white wing bands, and conspicuous blue-and-black patterned wing patches (Animal Diversity Web).

These intelligent omnivores eat a wide variety of foods, but acorns are especially important. Jays open acorns with their bills and bury thousands individually for later use, remembering cache locations for as long as ten months. Stored food is particularly valuable while feeding offspring. Eurasian jays form monogamous pairs and breed once annually in spring. Unpaired birds gather in lively groups during March and April, using calls, chasing, and visual displays to select mates before separating into breeding pairs (Animal Diversity Web).