Black-Headed Jay

This bird has a black head and a plain, grey body. It has a scruffy crest, white streaks on the throat and a dirty white bill. It has a fairly long tail. Its wings and tail are blue in the middle with a black and white checked pattern. It is omnivorous. It can be very bold and ventures into human habitation where it feeds on garbage and agricultural land. Its call is a raspy and nasally 'kraaaa'.

We first saw this bird in Pangot, Uttarakhand. When we saw this bird, because of its beautiful appearance, we thought it was a rare and exotic bird. Only after seeing this bird again and again all over Uttarakhand, we realised that it was very very common. It is like the crow of Northern India (The house crow is very very common in South India. Almost everywhere you go, whether it is a busy urban city or a desolate village, you will be sure to hear its distinct caw-caw call).