Perisoreus
Siberian jay ( Perisoreus infaustus ) in Kittila
The Siberian jay ( Perisoreus ) are a genus of corvids ( Corvidae ). It includes three species that are native to Eurasia and North America. Jays are relatively small representative of the corvids and remember in their appearance on tits, which is why they are called in the older literature also Grey Jay. They inhabit boreal and montane coniferous forests and feed mainly on seeds and insects.
Jays show little fear in dealing with people and have been known to seek human settlements and camps, in order to find food, both in Scandinavia and in North America. At the same species of the genus were but in Europe as well as the North American Indians have a reputation for bringing misfortune in various ways.
- 6.1 Literature
- 6.2 External links
- 6.3 Notes and references
Features
Jays are small corvids, are similar in appearance tits. Your chisel- shaped beak is petite compared to other corvids and short, but relatively wide.
The plumage of the species moves from black, brown and gray to white, only the Siberian jay ( P. infaustus ) has reddish tail, top and lower body plumage. The Gray Jay ( P. canadensis ) shows variable gray, black and white tones. The Sichuanhäher ( P. internigrans ) is similar in plumage to the Siberian jay, but is darker and has no red feathers. The beak is covered about halfway with broad, stiff bristles beak. All three species have rounded or slightly graduated tail feathers.
All three Perisoreus species have highly developed sublingual salivary glands. They enable the birds to produce extra thick saliva, which is required for the storage of food.
Dissemination
The range of the Siberian jay includes the boreal and continental Eurasia north of the steppe zone to the limit of the tundra. In North America it ranges over the forested regions of Alaska and Canada east to Newfoundland and south along the coast and over the Rocky Mountains. A relic deposits exist with the Sichuanhäher ( P. internigrans ) at the extreme western edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
Habitat
Jays inhabit predominantly coniferous forests in boreal and montane regions, but are uncommon in the boreal mixed forest.
Nutrition
The diet of the Siberian jay consists mainly of seeds and insects, which they pick up in the crowns of trees, in the spring and summer. However, none of the types of other food sources is unwilling, then let chickadees and jays, for example, without fear of people feed them bread. The collected over the year food is mixed by the Unglückshähern with viscous saliva and stuck in the bark furrows of trees. In autumn and winter the birds live off especially from these inventories, since other food is usually not available.
Systematics and Taxonomy
Author of the genus Perisoreus Charles Lucien Bonaparte is that they re aufstellte 1833 in a footnote of his catalog of the known animal species. 1840 was set by George Robert Gray subsequently the Gray Jay as model type. Perisoreus is derived from the Greek and means something like "I heap up on ." The name refers to the distinct foraging behavior of Siberian jay and takes precedence over the temporary common synonym Cractes (Bill Berg, 1828).
Outer systematics
The jays are relatively isolated within the corvids. My sister taxon are the azure-winged magpie ( Cyanopica ), which were formerly widespread Palaearctic and today exist in two relict areas in the Iberian Peninsula and in East Asia. The clade formed by blue magpies and Unglückshähern is the result of a recent radiation. Your stand against the Neuwelthäher and the Old World species of Africa and the temperate Palearctic.
Mountain crows and Southeast Asian genera
Azure-winged Magpie ( Cyanopica )
Siberian jay ( Perisoreus )
Neuwelthäher
Ravens, crows and remaining Altweltgattungen
Inside systematics
The genus of jays divided into a Old World and New World a branch.
The Gray Jay ( P. canadensis) stands one of Sichuanhäher ( P. internigrans ) and Siberian jay opposite ( P. infaustus ) formed clade. Old and New World jays parted around 1.5 million years ago, when the Bering Strait silted and overgrown with coniferous forests bridge to North America was formed.
Sichuanhäher ( P. internigrans )
Siberian jay ( P. infaustus )
Gray Jay ( P. canadensis)