Cyanocorax yncas

The Inca jay (Cyanocorax yncas) is a bird species of the New World jays, which is endemic to the Andes of South America. Some ornithologists treat the green jay of North America and the Inca jay as conspecific and with C. yncas luxuosus as the green jay and C. yncas yncas as the Inca jay. 29.5–34.3 cm (11.6–13.5 in). The crown can appear mostly white, with blue limited to the frontal crest and nape. A black bib forms a broad band up to the sides of the head as well as a stripe through the eye line and one above it. The breast and underparts typically are bright yellow. The upper parts are rich green. It has large nasal bristles that form a distinct tuft in some subspecies, but are less developed in others. The color of the iris is bright yellow. Inca jays usually build a nest in a tree or in a thorny bush or thicket, and the female lays three to five eggs. Only the female incubates, but both parents take care of the young. In Colombia, Inca jays are recorded as retaining offspring for several years, and those young help the parents raise more chicks. In Venezuela, they have been observed being victims of nest parasitism by giant cowbirds.