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Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Xinjiang Ground Jay

Podoces biddulphi

Xinjiang Ground Jay (Podoces biddulphi) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of Europe & Northern Asia.

The Xinjiang Ground Jay (Podoces biddulphi) is a member of the Corvidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 130 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
  4. Genus Podoces
  5. Species biddulphi

Where it lives

Western, central Xinjiang (far western China)

Quick facts

Weight
130 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Corvidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of arid, desert country, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Xinjiang Ground Jay (Podoces biddulphi) belongs to the Corvidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL w, c Xinjiang (far w China).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 130 g, with a wing length of about 14.9 cm and a tail of around 9.9 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 420,000 km².

Songs & calls

Xinjiang Ground Jay — Call

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Xinjiang Ground Jay?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 130 g.

Where does the Xinjiang Ground Jay live?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL w, c Xinjiang (far w China), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Xinjiang Ground Jay belong to?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay (Podoces biddulphi) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Xinjiang Ground Jay eat?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Xinjiang Ground Jay migrate?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Xinjiang Ground Jay endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Xinjiang Ground Jay make?

1 real field recording of the Xinjiang Ground Jay — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Xinjiang Ground Jay's range?

The Xinjiang Ground Jay has a mapped global range of about 420,000 km².

Conservation

Near Threatened

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.

3 min read

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