Original from the state of Paraná, in southern Brazil, the story of the legend of the blue jay has different versions.
According to one of the most widespread versions of the legend, the blue jay was a completely black bird, as were most corvids.
It is said that, one day, the blue jay took on a divine mission that would make it very useful and would distinguish it from other animals of its species in terms of importance.
God had made a request for help to all the birds, as he needed the araucaria seeds to be spread in order to give rise to new pine trees.
Most of the birds in the place ignored God's request. The blue jay was the only one to be available for the task. So God gave her a pinion.
Upon receiving the seed, the bird placed it on the ground and hit it with its beak until all the pinion was buried.
This act was repeated countless times, with the various seeds that he was receiving. Over time, the seeds began to sprout and later became beautiful trees.
Thus, a large extension of the territory was covered by vegetation, giving rise to an enormous araucaria forest. This was only possible thanks to the Blue Jay.
In return for the effort, God presented the bird with a kind of blue-colored cloak that covered its body, making it the only bird to have feathers of such color.
A second version of the legend says thatOnce, the blue jay was asleep and was suddenly awakened by the noise of an axe. It was a lumberjack trying to knock down the pine tree she was on.
Frightened, the bird flew high into the sky. There, she heard a voice asking her to go back to the tree and help protect the forest by planting more and more pine trees.
The blue jay responded promptly to the request. As a form of thanks and reward for the help, the bird was given feathers as blue as the sky.
Curiosities about the blue jay
The blue jay is a bird of approximately 40 centimeters in length, with a blue body and a black head.
The bird's distribution area in Brazilian territory extends from the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast region, to Rio Grande do Sul.
In 1984, it was consecrated as a bird symbol of the state of Paraná, by State Law No. 7957.
The blue jay also had an impact on the highest award in Paraná given to theater artists, thus inspiring the blue jay trophy.
In addition, the bird was chosen as the mascot of the Paraná Club, thus appearing on the team's emblem.
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