Mongolian ground jay

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The Mongolian ground jay (Podoces hendersoni) or Henderson's ground jay, is a species of bird in the family Corvidae.

Mongolian ground jay
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Podoces
Species:
P. hendersoni
Binomial name
Podoces hendersoni
Hume, 1871

Description

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The bird is light tan with iridescent blue on its primary feathers. It has a long, curved beak and a black stripe on its forehead.

Distribution

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It is found in arid areas of Central Asia (Mongolia, northern China and adjacent areas of Russia and Kazakhstan). It is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation.[2] It tends to live on areas with gravel surfaces.[3]

Behaviour

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Eggs are typically laid and hatched in April-May. They nest in Prunus pedunculata. Females spend more time foraging and the males spend more time brooding the chicks at the start of the nesting period.[2]

They are most active in the morning.[2]

Among ground jays, they have a relatively short trill call.[4]

Diet

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The main diet of the nestling Mongolian ground jay consists of common lizards, toad-headed agama, and invertebrates. It is proposed that Mongolian ground jays feed their chicks based on the availability of their food rather than in relation to the stage of the chicks development. They spend more time foraging at warmer temperatures.[2]

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Podoces hendersoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22705883A94039716. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705883A94039716.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Dashnyam, Batsuuri; Delgerzaya, Delgerjargal; Gankhuyag, Purev-Ochir; Amarkhuu, Gungaa (2020). "Nesting Behavior of the Mongolian Ground Jay (Podoces hendersoni) in the Gobi Desert of Southern Mongolia". Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences. 18 (1): 41–46. doi:10.22353/mjbs.2020.18.05. ISSN 1684-3908.
  3. ^ Londei, Tiziano (2021-04-03). "Birds as seed dispersers in deserts: suggestions from the ground-jays". Avian Research. 12 (1). doi:10.1186/s40657-021-00248-7. ISSN 2053-7166.
  4. ^ Chernova, O. F.; Ilyashenko, V. Yu. (August 2023). "The Use of the Microstructure of Covert Feathers in the Systematics of Ground Jays (Aves, Corvidae: Podoces, Eupodoces)". Biology Bulletin. 50 (4): 641–655. Bibcode:2023BioBu..50..641C. doi:10.1134/s1062359023601143. ISSN 1062-3590. S2CID 260901099.
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