Lidth's Jay

Lidth's Jay is restricted to a small number of islands in the Ryukyu chain of southern Japan, most notably Amami Ōshima, making it one of the more range-restricted jays in the world. Its plumage combines a warm chestnut head and neck with a deep blue body and a bold black facial mask, a striking combination distinct from the more streaky-headed Eurasian Jay found on the Asian mainland.

Its small range within subtropical island forest makes habitat condition on these islands especially important to its continued presence.

• Head and neck feathers are a warm chestnut-brown, contrasting with a bold black mask covering the face around the eye and bill
• Body contour feathers are a deep, rich blue, generally more saturated and uniform than the streaked, paler plumage of the mainland Eurasian Jay
• Wing feathers are blue, without the barred blue-black-and-white wing panel pattern found in the Eurasian Jay
• Tail feathers are blue, relatively unmarked compared to the more patterned tail of some other jay species

Sexes look alike in plumage. Juveniles show duller, less saturated chestnut and blue tones that brighten with maturity through successive molts. One complete molt occurs annually after breeding.

• Restricted to a small number of islands in the Ryukyu chain of southern Japan, primarily Amami Ōshima and nearby islands
• Favors subtropical broadleaf forest across these islands
• Non-migratory, with a very limited range confined entirely to this island group

Lidth's Jay forages in forest canopy and understory for insects, acorns, fruit, and small animals, and like many jays, it caches food for later use. Calls are harsh and varied, generally similar in style to other Garrulus jays though distinct in detail. Nests are cup-shaped structures built in trees within the forest habitat of its home islands, and its restricted range makes local forest conditions particularly significant for the species.