Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cayenne Jay
Cyanocorax cayanus
Cayenne Jay (Cyanocorax cayanus) — 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 Cayenne Jay (Cyanocorax cayanus) is a member of the Corvidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 175 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 Cyanocorax
- Species cayanus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 175 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cayenne Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Cayenne Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cayenne Jay (Cyanocorax cayanus) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 175 g, with a wing length of about 15.8 cm and a tail of around 15.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cayenne Jay?
The Cayenne Jay is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 175 g.
Where does the Cayenne Jay live?
The Cayenne Jay is found across South America with a range covering SA n Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Cayenne Jay belong to?
The Cayenne Jay (Cyanocorax cayanus) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cayenne Jay eat?
The Cayenne Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Cayenne Jay migrate?
The Cayenne Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cayenne 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 Cayenne Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Cayenne Jay can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cayenne Jay's range?
The Cayenne Jay has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.