Curl-crested Jay
Cyanocorax cristatellus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyCorvidae (Còrvids)
- GenusCyanocorax (Cyanocorax Jays and Magpie-jays)
- SpeciesCyanocorax cristatellus (Curl-crested Jay)
The curl-crested jay (Cyanocorax cristatellus) is a species of jay native to South America. This New World jay is a beautiful and large (35 cm/14 in overall) bird with predominantly dark blue back, an almost black head and neck, and snow-white chest and underparts. They have a pronounced curled crest rising from just behind the beak; the crest is on average larger in males, but the sexes are generally quite similar. The voice is a loud, gray, graa, gray-gray-gray, sometimes repeated 8-10 times. They sound similar to crow. Curl-crested jays are native to the cerrados of central and southern and the caatinga of north-eastern Brazil. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Curl-crested Jay sighting in Serra da Canastra National Park, based on 88 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Serra da Canastra National Park
Plush-crested Jay
Cyanocorax chrysops
White-naped Jay
Cyanocorax cyanopogon
Saffron Finch
Sicalis flaveola
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Mimus saturninus
Blue-and-white Swallow
Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Sayaca Tanager
Thraupis sayaca
Pale-breasted Thrush
Turdus leucomelas
Burnished-buff Tanager
Stilpnia cayana
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
White-rumped Monjita
Xolmis velatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Curl-crested Jay in Serra da Canastra National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Curl-crested Jay sighting in Serra da Canastra National Park, based on 88 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Curl-crested Jay in Serra da Canastra National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Curl-crested Jay in Serra da Canastra National Park in our monthly data.