View source for Jay

{{Short description|Bird}}
{{Other uses}}
{{redirect|Jay (bird)|other uses|jay bird (disambiguation)}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| auto = yes
| image = Garrulus glandarius 1 Luc Viatour.jpg
| image_caption = [[Eurasian jay]] (''Garrulus glandarius'')
| parent = Corvidae
| includes_text = Genera
| includes = *''[[Garrulus]]''
*''[[Podoces]]''
*''[[Perisoreus]]''
*''[[Aphelocoma]]''
*''[[Gymnorhinus]]''
*''[[Cyanocitta]]''
*''[[Cyanocorax]]''
*''[[Cyanolyca]]''
}}

'''Jays''' are a [[paraphyletic]] grouping of [[passerine]] [[birds]] within the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Corvidae]]. Although the term "jay" [[folk taxonomy|carries no taxonomic weight]], most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually have colorful feathers and are quite noisy. These superificial characteristics set them apart from most other corvids such as [[crow]]s, [[raven]]s, [[jackdaw]]s, [[Rook (bird)|rook]]s and [[magpie]]s, which are larger and have darker plumage. Many so-called "jays" are genetically closer to these other corvids than other jays, however.

==Systematics and species==
Jays are not a [[monophyletic]] group. Anatomical and molecular evidence indicates they can be divided into a [[New World]] and an [[Old World]] lineage (the latter including the [[ground jay]]s and the [[piapiac]]), while the grey jays of the genus ''Perisoreus'' form a group of their own.<ref name="Ericson">{{cite journal|last1=Ericson|first1=Per G. P.|last2=Jansén|first2=Anna-Lee|last3=Johansson|first3=Ulf S.|last4=Ekman|first4=Jan|title=Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data|journal=[[Journal of Avian Biology]]|date=May 2005|volume=36|issue=3|pages=222–234|doi=10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x|citeseerx=10.1.1.493.5531}}http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810020048/http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf |date=2017-08-10 }} PDF fulltext</ref>  The [[black magpie]]s, formerly believed to be related to jays, are classified as [[treepie]]s.  

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===Old World ("brown") jays===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Genus   !! Living species
|-
|[[File:Peanut Thief (7184679351).jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Garrulus]]''''' {{small|Brisson, 1760}}|| 
* [[Eurasian jay]], ''Garrulus glandarius''
* [[Lanceolated jay]], ''Garrulus lanceolatus''
* [[Lidth's jay]], ''Garrulus lidthi''
|-
|[[File:Turkestan Ground-Jay.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Podoces]]''''' {{small|Fischer von Waldheim, 1821}} - Ground jays|| 
* [[Mongolian ground jay]], ''Podoces hendersoni''
* [[Xinjiang ground jay]], ''Podoces biddulphi''
* [[Pleske's ground jay]], ''Podoces pleskei''
* [[Turkestan ground jay]], ''Podoces panderi''
|-
|[[File:Ptilostomus afer Maroua.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Ptilostomus]]''''' {{small|Swainson, 1837}}|| 
* [[Piapiac]], ''Ptilostomus afer''
|-
|}

===Grey jays===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Genus   !! Living species
|-
|[[File:Perisoreus canadensis mercier2.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Perisoreus]]''''' {{small|Bonaparte, 1831}} - Grey jays|| 
* [[Siberian jay]], ''Perisoreus infaustus''
* [[Sichuan jay]], ''Perisoreus internigrans''
* [[Canada jay]], gray jay, grey jay, or whiskeyjack ''Perisoreus canadensis''
|-
|}

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===New World jays===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Genus   !! Living species
|-
|[[File:Aphelocoma insularis Bouton 2.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Aphelocoma]]''''' {{small|Cabanis, 1851}} - Scrub-jays|| 
* [[Florida scrub jay]], ''Aphelocoma coerulescens''
* [[Island scrub jay]], ''Aphelocoma insularis''
* [[California scrub jay]], ''Aphelocoma californica''
* [[Woodhouse's scrub jay]], ''Aphelocoma woodhouseii''
* [[Transvolcanic jay]], ''Aphelocoma ultramarina''
* [[Mexican jay]], ''Aphelocoma wollweberi''
* [[Unicolored jay]], ''Aphelocoma unicolor''
|-
|[[File:Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus1.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Gymnorhinus]]''''' {{small|Wied-Neuwied, 1841}}|| 
* [[Pinyon jay]], ''Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus''
|-
|[[File:Bluejay (Cyanocitta cristata) (1547) - Relic38.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Cyanocitta]]''''' {{small|Strickland, 1845}}|| 
* [[Steller's jay]], ''Cyanocitta stelleri''
* [[Blue jay]], ''Cyanocitta cristata''
|-
|[[File:Cyanocorax luxuosus calling.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Cyanocorax]]''''' {{small|F. Boie, 1826}}|| 
* [[Tufted jay]], ''Cyanocorax dickeyi''
* [[Black-chested jay]], ''Cyanocorax affinis''
* [[Green jay]], ''Cyanocorax ynca''
* [[Brown jay]], ''Cyanocorax morio''
* [[Bushy-crested jay]], ''Cyanocorax melanocyaneus''
* [[San Blas jay]], ''Cyanocorax sanblasianus''
* [[Yucatan jay]], ''Cyanocorax yucatanicus''
* [[Purplish-backed jay]], ''Cyanocorax beecheii''
* [[Purplish jay]], ''Cyanocorax cyanomelas''
* [[Azure jay]], ''Cyanocorax caeruleus''
* [[Violaceous jay]], ''Cyanocorax violaceus''
* [[Curl-crested jay]], ''Cyanocorax cristatellus''
* [[Azure-naped jay]], ''Cyanocorax heilprini''
* [[Cayenne jay]], ''Cyanocorax cayanus''
* [[Plush-crested jay]], ''Cyanocorax chrysops''
* [[White-naped jay]], ''Cyanocorax cyanopogon''
* [[White-tailed jay]], ''Cyanocorax mystacalis''
* [[Black-throated magpie-jay]], ''Cyanocorax colliei''
* [[White-throated magpie-jay]], ''Cyanocorax formosus''
|-
|[[File:Turquoise jay.jpg|175px]]||'''''[[Cyanolyca]]''''' {{small|Cabanis, 1851}}|| 
* [[Black-collared jay]], ''Cyanolyca armillata''
* [[Turquoise jay]], ''Cyanolyca turcosa''
* [[White-collared jay]], ''Cyanolyca viridicyana''
* [[Azure-hooded jay]], ''Cyanolyca cucullata''
* [[Beautiful jay]], ''Cyanolyca pulchra''
* [[Black-throated jay]], ''Cyanolyca pumilo''
* [[Dwarf jay]], ''Cyanolyca nana''
* [[Silvery-throated jay]], ''Cyanolyca argentigula''
* [[White-throated jay]], ''Cyanolyca mirabilis''
|-
|}

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==In culture==

===Slang===
The word ''jay'' has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning a person who chatters impertinently.<ref name=Jay20132>{{cite web| title = Jay | quote = An overly talkative person; a chatterbox.| publisher = freedictionary.com| url = http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Jay}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jay|title=Definition of Jay by Merriam-Webster|date=26 October 2024 |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Inc.}}</ref> 

The term ''[[jaywalking]]'' was coined in the first decade of the 1900s to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaywalker|title=Definition of Jaywalker by Merriam-Webster|date=28 August 2024 |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Inc.}}</ref> The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavior as the convention became established.<ref>{{OED|jay-walker}}</ref>

In January 2014, Canadian author [[Robert Joseph Greene]] embarked on a lobbying campaign among ornithologists in Europe and North America to get Merriam-Websters Dictionary to have a "Jabber of Jays" as an official term under bird groups.<ref>{{cite news|title=Writer lobbies for new word to describe jays|url=http://www.vancourier.com/Writer-lobbies-for-new-word-to-describe-jays-1.776734/|access-date=January 2, 2014|newspaper=Vancouver Courier|date=January 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=British Ornithologists' Union: What say ye countrymen to a jabber of jays?|url=http://www.bou.org.uk/what-say-ye-countrymen-to-a-jabber-of-jays/#comments/|access-date=January 6, 2014|journal=Community News|date=January 6, 2014}}</ref>

==References== 
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Cite web|url=https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?mediaType=video&taxonCode=blujay|title=Blue Jay - ''Cyanocitta cristata'' videos|website=The Internet Bird Collection + The Macaulay Library}}
*{{Wikisource-inline|list=
**{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Jay |short=x |noicon=x}}
**{{Cite Americana|wstitle=Jays |short=x |noicon=x}}
**{{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Jay |short=x |noicon=x}}
**{{Cite EB1911 |last=Newton |first=Alfred |author-link=Alfred Newton |wstitle=Jay |short=x |noicon=x}}
**{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Jay|year=1905 |short=x |noicon=x}}
**{{Cite EB9 |last=Newton |first=Alfred |author-link=Alfred Newton |wstitle=Jay |volume=13 |short=x |noicon=x}}
}}

{{Corvidae}}

[[Category:Corvidae]]
[[Category:Bird common names]]