Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-collared Jay
Cyanolyca armillata
Black-collared Jay (Cyanolyca armillata) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-collared Jay (Cyanolyca armillata) is a member of the Corvidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 200 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
- Genus Cyanolyca
- Species armillata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 200 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-collared Jay is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-collared Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-collared Jay (Cyanolyca armillata) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Venezuela to Ecuador.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 200 g, with a wing length of about 13.8 cm and a tail of around 16.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 54,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-collared Jay?
The Black-collared Jay is a large bird that weighs around 200 g.
Where does the Black-collared Jay live?
The Black-collared Jay is found across South America with a range covering SA Venezuela to Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-collared Jay belong to?
The Black-collared Jay (Cyanolyca armillata) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-collared Jay eat?
The Black-collared Jay is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-collared Jay migrate?
The Black-collared Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-collared Jay endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-collared Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Black-collared Jay can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-collared Jay's range?
The Black-collared Jay has a mapped global range of about 54,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Corvidae
Extinct in the Wild
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Corvids
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Feeders for Jays & Larger Garden Birds
How to choose a feeder for jays and other big, bold garden birds — the styles that suit peanuts and larger food, and how to keep them from crowding your small-bird feeders. A decision framework with the species in the Birbs encyclopedia.