COVER STORY: SPECIES PROFILE
THE crow family Corvidae, embracing some 123 species, is often thought to consist of mainly sombre-plumaged birds. In reality, most are far from sombre. Apart from the handsomely plumaged treepies and magpies, there are approximately 60 species of jay in the world. Together with the two species of magpie-jays (Calocitta) these are the catwalk models of the crow family. Indeed, when you observe the array of jay species, which possess such a variety of colourful plumage (with the UK species as a prime example), it should be no surprise that the crow family is the sister group to the most flamboyant of all bird families: Paradisaeidae, the birds of paradise.
“Other jays' caches are raided, and they will watch animals such as squirrels to learn where they store food
Jays are well represented
