Dec 10, 2019
November 25, 2019 - Xinjiang Ground-jay or Biddulph's Ground-jay (Podoces biddulphi)
Found only in the Taklamakan Desert in northwestern China, these jays inhabit scrub, sandy desert, and desert poplar. Foraging mostly on the ground, they feed on seeds, grains, and other plant foods, as well as small animals. They build compact bowl-shaped nests from twigs, rootlets, grass, dry leaves, hair, feathers, and soft plant fibers in shrubs or trees. They are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to habitat degradation and fragmentation caused by livestock grazing, oil extraction, wood harvesting, and land conversion.
