Difference between revisions of "Den Jay"
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Due in part to their blue, black, and white coloration and also to their curious nature, '''Den Jays''' are considered a good omen in Mikitivity. Mikitivitian folk lore suggests that the jays were originally a band of gnomes that had taken to stealing from early human settlements. Legend holds that instead of preying upon travelers and small villages, that a pack of gnomes came across a hapless young woman bathing and stole the woman's robes and jewelery. To the theives' surprise the woman, Silvara, was not so helpless. A dragon in disguise, Silvara decided to transform the mischievous band of gnomes into masked jay birds. She then allowed the jays to return to their thieving ways. | Due in part to their blue, black, and white coloration and also to their curious nature, '''Den Jays''' are considered a good omen in Mikitivity. Mikitivitian folk lore suggests that the jays were originally a band of gnomes that had taken to stealing from early human settlements. Legend holds that instead of preying upon travelers and small villages, that a pack of gnomes came across a hapless young woman bathing and stole the woman's robes and jewelery. To the theives' surprise the woman, Silvara, was not so helpless. A dragon in disguise, Silvara decided to transform the mischievous band of gnomes into masked jay birds. She then allowed the jays to return to their thieving ways. | ||
Revision as of 21:17, 13 December 2006
The Den Jay is a jay originally from Solace Mountains, but has spread througout most of the cooler climates of the International Democratic Union. The largest population of Den Jays can be found in Mikitivity, where the locals frequently point out that the bird is wearing the national colors: blue, black, and white. Like all jays, they are closely related to magpies and treepies, and are best known for their curious nature.
They get their name from the large den-like nests they construct. Like many covridae, the jays occasionally steal human possesions to bring back to their nests. It is not uncommon to see the birds flying away with some small piece of jewelry. This behavior has given the nickname Den of Thieves to their nests.
Contents
Appearance
Den Jays are about the same size of most jays, with adults measuring 0.3 meters in length (from beak to tail). The birds show a great deal of regional variation, with darker colored birds tending to live in warmer climates, while those in the higher elevations have less distinct divisions between their blue heads and black backs. The breasts of the jays are white or grey-white, while nearly all variaties have bright blue tails and wings and black or grey backs. Den Jays are most easily recognized by their characteristic black "mask".
Like all jays, Den Jays are quite vocal and have a huge range of sounds and calls. Common calls include guttural cawing similar to crows to high pitched cheek, cheek, cheek warnings. Sometimes the birds will develop unique calls that they use to communicate with humans that regularly feed them. They will use these calls when communicating with other animals.
Habitat
As their name sake suggests, Den Jays make extensive nests in hollowed out trees, such as the Thoris Pine, in an effort to seek protection from the high winds and precipitation of their mountain homes. Birds that have moved into urban settings still tend to build extensive nests in conifers and scrub habitats, though these nests are no where near as large as their rural cousins' nests.
Native Environment
List of Countries where Den Jays are a native species:
Non-Native Locations
List of Countries where Den Jays are an invasive species:
- unknown
Diet and Predators
Food is taken from both the ground and in trees, ranging from a wide range of seeds, nuts, berries, and other fruit. In the wild, their favorite seed are from the Thoris Pine cones, and thus the birds are responsible for the spread of the trees. Urban Den Jays are incredibly found of seeds and nuts left behind by humans, thus are often found stalking humans whom they suspect might leave a peanut or sunflower seed behind for them. In the spring and summer, Den Jays extend their diet to include insects (especially ants), spiders, and acorns. In desperate times, the birds have been known to turn to other bird eggs.
The jays hunt for food both on the ground and in trees, though usually they'll take whatever they find back to their dens to eat. Wild jays can be trained to eat from human hands, and have a fondness for peanuts.
Life Cycle
Den Jays can live to be 15 years old, and are known to actually organize in larger family structures. Mated pairs will live together most of their lives, with younger siblings sometimes staying in the same den. They are not very territorial, except for when protecting eggs or hatchlings. Usually 4 to 6 eggs are laid in an isolated and hidden nest. The eggs are incubated for over 14 days, and guarded by either of the parents to prevent other birds from eating the eggs.
Social Significance
Due in part to their blue, black, and white coloration and also to their curious nature, Den Jays are considered a good omen in Mikitivity. Mikitivitian folk lore suggests that the jays were originally a band of gnomes that had taken to stealing from early human settlements. Legend holds that instead of preying upon travelers and small villages, that a pack of gnomes came across a hapless young woman bathing and stole the woman's robes and jewelery. To the theives' surprise the woman, Silvara, was not so helpless. A dragon in disguise, Silvara decided to transform the mischievous band of gnomes into masked jay birds. She then allowed the jays to return to their thieving ways.
The birds have adapted well to human development, and can be found in urban and rural settings. Small objects left around outside might end up being taken by a jay, and their nests are said to be full of lost and forgotten treasures. Their adaptibility to human civilization and habitat of collecting small items has encouraged their spread through the International Democratic Union.
They pose little significant danger as an invasive species, as their diet resembles that of other corvidae and they tend to shy away from tropical climates. However, their curiousity into human activities has resulted in the birds sometimes being considered a nuisance (though this is rare in Mikitivity).
On rare occasions the jays have been brought to spider and ant invested ruins where they have helped to clean the grounds of the pests.
