Black-headed Jay

The black-headed jay is roughly the same size as its close relative the Eurasian jay, but a little more slender overall. The head is mostly black with white streaks on the throat and a more obvious crest compared to the Eurasian jay. The bill is pale and slightly shorter and thicker compared to its close relative. The tail is also longer. It has a very similar voice to the Eurasian jay, but with longer pauses between calls. The call is most often a harsh "kraaa", which can sound either raspy or more nasal.

Black-headed jays are non-migratory and range from eastern Afghanistan eastwards, across the Himalayas, from India to Nepal and Bhutan. They occur in wooded country with large areas of open ground rather than dense forest, and at elevations ranging from 570-4000m. They also occur in some cultivated areas and even near villages as long as there are enough trees and scrubland nearby. They may even visit agricultural land and garbage dumps to feed.

Black-headed jays are omnivores; they feed both on the ground and in trees, and take virtually the same wide range of plant and animal foods as the Eurasian jay, including eggs and nestlings. They can be quite bold and frequent human habitation, where they are known to feed off agricultural land and garbage dumps. They nest in trees and suitable bushes and in this resemble the Eurasian jay in every respect. Their nests are made of sticks plastered together with mud and lined with weeds and rootlets. They usually lay 3–5 eggs, which are incubated over a period of 16 days. Both parents feed the young.