Eurasian Jay

Description:

Roughly the size of feral pigeon, this corvid is a bird of striking colors: light-brownish bird with azure blue wing spots, and cream-black face and crown pattern. Eurasian Jay is a very loud bird, and like all members of crow or corvids family (Corvidae), reputed really intelligent. Here, portrayed with a prey, apparently some small bird...

Habitat:

Jays thrive in wooded areas - they are also known as acorn hoarders (collecting acorns for winter), so they are often found in oak forests. Since recently, their presence closer to urban areas was noted - as here; we observed this fella from our window, giving to a small meadow and a broadleaved forest a bit further down the road. However, our house is very close to the town center...

Notes:

Like all corvids, and many other forest species, Jay is occasionally predatory, in particular to other birds and in particular in spring. Jay is known to attack the nests of small birds (warblers for example), eat their eggs or sometimes chicks (probably the case here) - this behaviour is the origin of Jay's reputation as nest-looter or pillager.