blue jay

jay

jay common name for a number of birds of the family Corvidae (crows and jays), found in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The best-known representatives in America are the blue jay , Cyanocitta cristata, and the Canada jay. The Canada jay is gray, about 12 in. (30 cm) long, with a white throat and forehead and black nape; it has no crest. Found in northern coniferous forests and swamps, it is known for its habit of stealing bright objects, and is called locally camp robber, whisky jack, and moose bird. The common jay is of wide distribution and is hunted for game in England and Europe. The female lays from five to seven eggs per clutch, and the male helps incubate them. The Florida, or scrub, jay has blue markings and no crest. The European jay is fawn-colored, with a black and white crest and wings of black, white, and blue. Jays are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Corvidae.

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"jay." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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blue jay

blue jay common name for a familiar bird ( Cyanocitta cristata ) of central and E North America, allied to the crow, the raven, and the magpie, belonging to the family Corvidae. Almost a foot (30 cm) long, it is handsome and conspicuous. Its upper parts, including the crest, are grayish violet blue. The wings and tail are bright blue with black and white markings, the neck is collared with black, and the under parts are gray and white. Except during the nesting season it has a raucous cry with hawklike and other imitative sounds. Some winter in their northern range, but many travel south. They feed chiefly on large insects, seeds, and nuts (especially acorns and beechnuts); they also eat eggs and nestlings. When the female blue jay is incubating, she is fed by the male. Blue jays are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Corvidae.

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jay

jay / / • n. 1. a bird of the crow family with boldly patterned plumage, typically having blue feathers in the wings or tail. • Family Corvidae: several genera and numerous species, in particular the Eurasian Garrulus glandarius, with a crest, mainly pinkish-brown plumage, and a harsh screech. 2. archaic a person who chatters impertinently.

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"jay." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"jay." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-jay005.html

"jay." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-jay005.html

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Jay

Jay ♂, ♀
1. Short form of any of the given names beginning with the letter J- (compare Dee and Kay), now also used as an independent given name.

2. Indian male name meaning ‘victory’ in Sanskrit.

Variants: Jaye (of 1); Jai (of 2).

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Jay.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Jay.html

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jay

jay XIII. — OF. jay (mod. geai) :- late L. gaius, beside gaia; perh. f. the L. proper name Gaius (cf. the use of other personal names, as jackdaw, robin).

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T. F. HOAD. "jay." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "jay." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-jay.html

T. F. HOAD. "jay." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-jay.html

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jay

jay Any of several species of harsh-voiced birds related to the magpie and jackdaw. It has blue wing markings. Length: 34.2cm (13.5in). Family Corvidae.

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"jay." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"jay." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-jay.html

"jay." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-jay.html

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blue jay

blue jay • n. a common North American jay (Cyanocitta cristata) with a blue crest, back, wings, and tail.

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"blue jay." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Jay

Jay ♂ Sanskrit: ‘victory’.

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Jay1.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Jay." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Jay1.html

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jay

jayaffray, agley, aka, allay, Angers, A-OK, appellation contrôlée, array, assay, astray, au fait, auto-da-fé, away, aweigh, aye, bay, belay, betray, bey, Bombay, Bordet, boulevardier, bouquet, brae, bray, café au lait, Carné, cassoulet, Cathay, chassé, chevet, chez, chiné, clay, convey, Cray, crème brûlée, crudités, cuvée, cy-pres, day, decay, deejay, dégagé, distinguée, downplay, dray, Dufay, Dushanbe, eh, embay, engagé, essay, everyday, faraway, fay, fey, flay, fray, Frey, fromage frais, gainsay, gay, Gaye, Genet, gilet, glissé, gray, grey, halfway, hay, heigh, hey, hooray, Hubei, Hué, hurray, inveigh, jay, jeunesse dorée, José, Kay, Kaye, Klee, Kray, Lae, lay, lei, Littré, Lough Neagh, lwei, Mae, maguey, Malay, Mallarmé, Mandalay, Marseilles, may, midday, midway, mislay, misplay, Monterrey, Na-Dene, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, noway, obey, O'Dea, okay, olé, outlay, outplay, outstay, outweigh, oyez, part-way, pay, Pei, per se, pince-nez, play, portray, pray, prey, purvey, qua, Quai d'Orsay, Rae, rangé, ray, re, reflet, relevé, roman-à-clef, Santa Fé, say, sei, Shar Pei, shay, slay, sleigh, sley, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, straightaway, straightway, strathspey, stray, Sui, survey, sway, Taipei, Tay, they, today, tokay, Torbay, Tournai, trait, tray, trey, two-way, ukiyo-e, underlay, way, waylay, Wei, weigh, wey, Whangarei, whey, yea

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"jay." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

ON BASEBALL; GM puts green into Blue Jays; Thanks to the owner's increased...
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 4/4/2006
Idle lobster traps kill Blue Jays.(SHORT COMMUNICATIONS)
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BIRDING; On the Wing; Blue jays are noisy omnivores.(HOME & GARDEN)
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 12/8/2004

Facts and information from other sites

blue jay images
blue jay. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)