Description:

Unmistakable large sandy grey bird, with black hood. Has black (slightly crested) head, white-streaked black throat, stout grey bill, and pinkish-fawn upperparts and underparts variably washed with blue-grey. Wings have patches of blue barring, white carpal patch and tips to tertials and flight feathers.

Distribution:

Rare resident in the extreme southern parts of Ghizer and Diamer district, neighboring Chiral and Malakhand. Preferring mixed pine-oak and deodar-oak woodlands, open forest, shrubby hill slopes and degraded forest. Breeds between 1500m and 4000m.

Behavior:

Forages in more open situations and often found alongside mixed-species groups. Readily perches in open situations, such as rock outcrops in forests, prominent treetops, or large bushes on scrubby hillsides. Omnivorous. Chiefly invertebrates during breeding season, also small lizards and the eggs and nestlings of small birds; seeds and berries, especially in autumn and winter, including pine seeds.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Black-headed Jay in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Black-headed Jay

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.