The Amami jay — the world's most beautiful crow
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 2
I’ve been seeing a lot of jays recently. Yesterday was the most I’ve ever seen in a single day, probably over twenty if I kept counting.
I’m talking about the Amami jay (Garrulus lidthi), otherwise known as Lidth’s jay, a species found only on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima in the Amami archipelago. It is one of the birds international visitors hope to see, but it can be quite elusive.
It is part of the crow family, but it doesn’t quite look like a typical crow. It is a stunning bird, and I often refer to it as the world’s most beautiful crow. It has a pale beak, white whiskers, and feathers patterned with cobalt blue and reddish brown. There’s also a bit of white in the tail and on the tips of their wings. They grow to almost 40 cm, and when you see a flash of blue shoot by, it’s hard not to get excited.
They are shy, and you mostly hear them when they are alerting one another of danger or fighting between themselves. For the most part, they sound like most other crows.
Most of their time is spent high in the trees, but if you’re lucky, you might see them on the forest floor turning over leaves looking for food. One of the main things they feed on is acorns, especially from the chinquapin oaks that are common here. They hide them in the ground or in tree hollows—where they often nest—and in doing so help the forest regenerate.
They’re social for most of the year and move in small groups, but during breeding season they pair off. At night, they sleep out on the thin ends of branches. It may seem strange, but it's a defence to keep them away from the habu pit viper.
Though they’re not especially rare on the island, they are by no means easy to find. When they do show up, you need to be ready as they don’t hang around for long, nor are they fans of cameras. Some days you’ll hear them out and about and never see one. Other days they’ll appear out of nowhere, crossing the road or darting between the treetops.
If you’re interested in finding the Amami jay or other local birds, feel free to get in touch about a birdwatching tour.
