Mongolian Ground Jay

Podoces hendersoni Hume, 1871

28 cmLength120 gWeight

It inhabits deserts and is often seen on the ground among sparse shrubs.

Busiest months: June · Most records: China, Mongolia

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: June · Most records: China, Mongolia

Mongolian Ground Jay has been recorded at 25 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Chaka Salt LakeChina41 records
Arid Country W of ChakaChina31 records
Khongorin ElsMongolia25 records

More places

Boon Tsagan NuurMongolia18 records
Lake XiligouChina17 records
Keluke LakeChina17 records
Chaka – Outskirt MarshChina11 records
Khar Chuluut Valley, Jargalant Mountain, Mankhan, Khovd, MNMongolia9 records
Khoyor modny Well, Khovsgol, Dornogovi, MNMongolia9 records
Orog NuulMongolia7 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Mongolia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Mongolian ground jay (Podoces hendersoni) or Henderson's ground jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, found in Central Asia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mongolian Ground Jay?

The Mongolian Ground Jay is about 28 cm long and weighs around 120 g.

Where does the Mongolian Ground Jay live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northern, eastern Xinjiang south through Qinghai and east to western Nei Mongol (northwestern, north-central China) and western, southern Mongolia. It is most often recorded in China and Mongolia.

When is the best time to see the Mongolian Ground Jay?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Mongolian Ground Jay endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mongolian Ground Jay as Least Concern.

What does the Mongolian Ground Jay eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Mongolian Ground Jay in?

It belongs to the family Crows, Jays (Corvidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 28 cm
Weight: 120 g
Habitat: Desert
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 139 mm
Tail: 101 mm
Bill: 44 mm
Tarsus: 41 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: northern, eastern Xinjiang south through Qinghai and east to western Nei Mongol (northwestern, north-central China) and western, southern Mongolia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2