Violaceous Jay

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • nr Tena, Ecuador, Feb 2011

Bird name: Violaceous Jay
Latin: Cyanocorax violaceus
Other: Urraca Violácea (Es) • Gralha-violácea (Br)
Family: Corvidae • Crows, Jays
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana
Similar:

A couple of record shots of a Violaceous Jay we saw when driving back to Quito from the Oriente near Tena. I didn’t recognise it as a jay at the time - it’s larger than the Inca Jay.

On the photo below though you can see the characteristic white nape. Violaceous Jays are found in Ecuador only in Amazonia, so the road near Tena is at the edge of its range. This was the only individual I saw.