General Information

The White-throated Magpie-jay is large jay that ranges from Mexico to Costa Rica.  It is gregarious and often travels in flocks of 5 – 10 birds. They are noisy birds that will mob their observers.

Physical Description

The White-throated Magpie-jay has an average length of 20 inches, with its long tail accounting for about half that length.  Its upperparts, including the wings and much of its tail, are blue/blue-grayish in color.  The underparts are white, as are the sides of its head.  There is a black band running across its breast and halfway up each side of the neck.   It has a stout bill and black legs and feet.  The males and females are alike in appearance.

Diet

Its diet consists of a variety of foods including small frogs, lizards, fruits, nectar, eggs, and even the nestlings of other birds.

Habitat

The White-throated Magpie-jay occurs from the Pacific Slope thorn forests of Jalisco, Mexico down to Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Reproduction

This magpie-jay makes a cup shaped nest which is constructed of twigs or roots and lined with fibers. These are built in trees from 6 to 30 m high. They commonly lay 3 to 4 gray eggs that have brown blotches.  It has a long nesting period, and appears that only the female incubates the eggs. In Jalisco, the White-throated magpie-jay hybridizes with the Black-throated magpie-jay to form a superspecies.