page_title: Turquoise jay
section_title: Related species
hierarchical_section_title: Turquoise jay / Taxonomy / Related species
caption_attribution_description: English: Turquoise jay (Cyanolyca turcosa), Guango Lodge, Ecuador
context_page_description: The turquoise jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae.
  The turquoise jay is a vibrant blue jay with a black face mask and collar. It is found exclusively in South America throughout southern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. The turquoise jay prefers a humid habitat of montane evergreen forest and elfin forest with both primary and secondary growth. This bird is omnivorous and is known to eat insects, berries, eggs, and young birds of other species. Turquoise jays are nonmigratory and tend to travel in mixed flocks.
context_section_description: Similar species include the beautiful jay, the black-collared jay, and the white-collared jay. The turquoise jay is sympatric with the black-collared jay; both inhabit northwestern South America, though the black-collared jay is less green in color and has a much longer tail. The white-collared jay is also prevalent in northwestern South America, but differs in appearance from the turquoise jay by a white forecrown, black undertail, thin white collar, and general darker blue color. The beautiful jay is a rare jay that exists only on a thin strip of the western Andes between Colombia and Ecuador. It is different from the turquoise jay by a darker color overall, smaller size, and the absence of a black collar. The turquoise jay has no subspecies.
caption: Guango Lodge, Ecuador
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