Cyanolyca is a genus of small jays found in humid highland forests in southern Mexico, Central America and the Andes in South America. All are largely blue and have a black mask. They also possess black bills and legs and are skulking birds. They frequently join mixed-species flocks of birds.
Taxonomy
The genus Cyanolyca was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek κυανος/ kuanos meaning "dark-blue" with λυκος/lukos, a type of crow, perhaps the jackdaw, that was mentioned by Aristotle and Hesychius of Alexandria. Cabanis did not specify a type species but in 1855 George Gray designated the type as Cyanocorax armillatus Gray, 1845, the black-collared jay.
Species
The genus contains nine species.
Image
Common name
Scientific name
Distribution
White-throated jay
Cyanolyca mirabilis
Dwarf jay
Cyanolyca nanus
Black-throated jay
Cyanolyca pumilo
Silvery-throated jay
Cyanolyca argentigula
Azure-hooded jay
Cyanolyca cucullata
Beautiful jay
Cyanolyca pulchra
Black-collared jay
Cyanolyca armillata
Turquoise jay
Cyanolyca turcosa
White-collared jay
Cyanolyca viridicyanus
