PINYON JAY 307 



coleoptera. Mr. Dan Bowman informs me that in his locality (Knowl- 

 ton) soft corn on the cob has a great attraction for them." 



Mr. Braly (1931) saw one of these birds feed its mate while the 

 latter was engaged in incubation : "On coming in with food, a male 

 usually perched on the top of a tree forty or fifty feet distant from 

 the nest and called the female oflf to be fed. While being fed, she 

 made a screeching series of calls similar to those of a young bird and 

 continually fluttered her wings, and if the male flew to another tree, 

 she followed, begging for more food. Having finished feeding, the 

 male flew back to the feeding ground and the female flew directly to 

 the nest, making it very easy to find. The feeding was closely observed 

 and was solely by regurgitation, an unusual procedure for any of the 

 crow or jay family." 



Behavior. — Pinyon jays are among our most highly gregarious birds 

 at all seasons, and, except in their nesting colonies, they are always 

 restless and erratic nomads and almost always noisy, making their 

 presence known as they sweep over the foothills in flocks of hundreds. 

 In many of its movements this bird is more like a crow than a jay; its 

 flight is crowlike, though considerably swifter, and has been likened 

 to that of the robin or Qark's nutcracker; on long flights from one 

 feeding ground to another, it often travels in compact flocks. It spends 

 much time on the ground, where it often feeds in rolling flocks; its 

 gait is a dignified walk or easy run, with its body more or less erect 

 and its head held high, more like that of the starling than like the 

 bouncing hops of the jays. If a flock is disturbed while feeding in the 

 pines, the first one to leave gives a warning cry and the others follow 

 in a leisurely manner, one at a time, until all are on the wing. 



John T. Zimmer (1911) writes: "The birds are not particularly wary 

 but are somewhat difficult to approach at times owing to their restless 

 nature which keeps them constantly moving. I have been standing in 

 the line of approach of a flock of Pinion Jays and had them settle all 

 around and within a foot or two of me and not show the least sign of 

 fear when I moved around among them. They would turn and peer 

 at me and were full of curiosity. Even when I shot they would merely 

 rise, wheel around with loud outcries for a moment or so and then 

 settle down and continue their activities as if nothing had happened to 

 disturb them." 



Voice. — Mr. Braly (1931) says that "the female has a call given 

 when near her nest, that closely resembles krook, krook. The male 

 has a peculiar whistle-like note when one is near a completed nest and 

 a very jay-like note when the female is disturbed from her nest." Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Cameron (1907), "their presence is always proclaimed 



