Saskatchewan Birds – Oiseaux in the Land of Living Skies – Post #6

Saskatchewan’s slogan, “The Land of Living Skies” could refer as much to its magnificent birdlife as it does to its awe-inspiring Northern Lights and spectacular thunderstorms experienced there. This centrally located Canadian Province’s “Land of Living Skies” is home to over 400 recorded oiseaux (Fr. bird) species. Using my personal photographs in a blog post format, viewers will learn about the natural history and conservation status of these interesting birds in the Land of Living Skies!
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

WHAT’S IN A NAME

Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
Name Roots: (Gr. cyanos, “blue”; kitta, “a jay” – L. cristata, “crested”)

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae with a blue crest on its head and a blue “torso.” Its wings and tail are blue with white and black bars. The back and top of the wings are blue, while the underside is white. The bird has a black collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. The face is white with a black line through the eyes and down the sides of the head.

DISTRIBUTION & OCCURENCE IN THE LAND OF LIVING SKIES

Blue Jays prefer deciduous or mixed forests containing coniferous and deciduous trees. They prefer woodland edges over dense interiors. These birds are also common in towns and suburban areas. In Saskatchewan, Blue Jays can be found more readily in the central and southern parts of the province.

eBird Bar Charts & Map Grid

CONSERVATION STATUS – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Category

The Blue Jay is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Redlist Classification Justification: This species has an extremely large range, the population trend appears to be stable, and the population size is extremely large. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.