Magpie-jay explained

The magpie-jays are a genus, Calocitta, of the family Corvidae (crow-like birds) native to the southern part of North America. Sometimes placed in the genus Cyanocorax. The two known species are known to form hybrids.

The genus was introduced in 1841 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray with the white-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta formosa) as the type species.^{[1] [2]} The name Calocitta combines the Ancient Greek kalos meaning "beautiful" and kitta meaning "jay".^[3]

Species

The genus contains two species.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1841 . A List of the Genera of Birds : with their Synonyma and an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus . 2nd . London . R. and J.E. Taylor . 50 .
2. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Greenway . James C. Jr . 1962 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 15 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 228 .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 85 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . 2020 . Crows, mudnesters, birds-of-paradise . IOC World Bird List Version 10.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 9 October 2020 .