Garrulus glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Eurasian jay is a species of passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The Eurasian jay is a woodland bird that occurs over a vast region from western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian subcontinent and farther to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia. Across this vast range, several distinct racial forms have evolved which look different from each other, especially when comparing forms at the extremes of its range.

Source: Wikipedia

Synonyms 32

Corvus glandarius, Garrulus albipectus, Garrulus anatoliae, Garrulus atricapillus, Garrulus bispecularis, Garrulus brandtii, Garrulus cervicalis, Garrulus glaszneri, Garrulus haringtoni, Garrulus hyrcanus, Garrulus ichnusae, Garrulus krynicki, Garrulus leucotis, Garrulus minor, Garrulus oatesi, Garrulus sinensis, Garrulus taivanus, Garrulus bispecularis bispecularis, Garrulus bispecularis haringtoni, Garrulus bispecularis interstinctus, Garrulus bispecularis oatesi, Garrulus bispecularis pekingensis, Garrulus bispecularis persaturatus, Garrulus bispecularis sinensis, Garrulus bispecularis taivanus, Garrulus glandarius bambergi, Garrulus glandarius hiugaensis, Garrulus glandarius jordansi, Garrulus glandarius lusitanicus, Garrulus glandarius namiyei, Garrulus glandarius severtzowi, Glandarius garrulus fasciatus

4,301,582 GBIF occurrences
105,497 iNaturalist observations

Conservation status code

Conservation: status label

Least Concern

Conservation: population trend

Stable

Conservation: year assessed

2025

IUCN Red List page

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103723684/153832514

Habitats

IUCN: population narrative

In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 12,000,000-23,100,000 mature individuals, with 6,040,000-11,600,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises under half (c.50%) of the species' global range. The global population size has therefore been estimated at 24,000,000-46,200,000 mature individuals.

IUCN: habitat narrative

This species inhabits woodlands and forests of all kinds, especially beech (Fagus) and hornbeam (Carpinus), although oak (Quercus) is preferred. It can also be found in parks, orchards and large gardens. Northern populations also occur in conifers and birch (Betula) forest. In most of Europe, egg-laying occurs mainly from mid-April. The nest is built by both sexes and is a well-constructed, platform of twigs around a relatively deep cup, lined with soft plant materials. It is usually placed four to six metres above ground and often at the junction of substantial branch and main trunk. Clutches are typically five to seven eggs. It is omnivorous, feeding mostly on invertebrates during the breeding season. It also takes eggs and nestlings of a range of birds up to the size of a sparrowhawk (Accipiter) and a wide variety of seeds and berries, especially in autumn and winter, including grain, beech mast, chestnuts and acorns. Throughout the autumn and into winter it builds up caches of acorns, burying them individually in leaf litter on forest floor or beneath clumps of brambles or ferns, and has been estimated that a single bird could store c. 3000 acorns in one month (Madge 2009). The species is mainly resident with irregular movements, including irruptions and seasonal altitudinal movements (Madge 2009).

IUCN: threats narrative

The species's colourful blue wing feathers became very fashionable in the early 20th century, both as hat decoration and in the making of "flies" for salmon-fishing. It was also long persecuted by gamekeepers and farmers due to its habit of raiding nests, although persecution is now much less widespread (Madge 2009).

IUCN: conservation narrative

Conservation Actions UnderwayEU Birds Directive Appendix II. There are currently no known specific conservation measures for this species within Europe.Conservation Actions ProposedNo conservation measures are currently needed for this species within Europe.

IUCN: rationale

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence under 20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (under 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be over 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

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