The Blue Jay
Ranked #2,575 in Pets & Animals, #66,149 overall | Donates to Squidoo Charity Fund
The Backyard Bully
Blue Jays are beautiful birds and fun to watch. There are several that hang around our yard. Their cry is loud and when it's heard the other birds scatter. They have a reputation as backyard bullies and work hard to maintain that status. When the Blue Jay is feeding the other birds maintain a respectful distance.
While the Blue Jay is considered a song bird, it is much more than that. It can learn to mimic human sounds, the cry of a hawk, and can scream like a seagull. It's voice can be melodious and sweet, but more often times than not, its calling out warnings and demanding attention.
Description
The Blue Jay is a large song bird measuring 9 to 12 inches in length. It has a pronounced crest on its head. The crown of feathers can be raised or lowered according to the bird's mood. When excited or aggressive, the crest may be fully raised and
when frightened, the crest bristles outward.
The Blue Jay is bright blue on top and white to gray on its throat, chest and belly. It has black and white bars on its wings and tail. The bill, legs and feet are black and a
black "necklace" on its lower throat. Juveniles are similar to adults except the blue areas are grayer and the black has a brown tinge.
Like other corvids, some Blue Jays can be taught to mimic a human speech.
Range and Habitat
Blue Jays prefer deciduous, mixed forests, and woodlands. They are common in urban and suburban areas especially where large oaks are predominant.
Throughout the summer Blue Jays can be found from southern Canada, down the eastern half of the United States to the Gulf Coast. There are small, pockets of Blue Jays as far west as Washington State.
They are partially migratory with some migrating and others not. Some Blue Jays migrate one year and not the next.
Feeding Blue Jays
Blue Jays are omnivorous. They eat fruit, acorns, seeds, nuts, even mice and frogs. They have even been known to raid the nests of other birds eating the eggs and their young.
When feeding at birdfeeders, Blue Jays are a backyard bullies. They chase the smaller birds away until they've had their fill. Blue Jays cache seeds and acorns to eat later, but often forget where they buried them. They do a wonderful job of spreading seeds and planting a new crop of trees.
Great Birdfeeders on Amazon
The Blue Jay is an aggressive bird. They will drive smaller birds away from birdfeeders and claim them as their own.
Song
The Blue Jay is a very vocal bird. They make a number of different calls including its distinctive jay-jay. It growls when it's irritated, and chatters when its not. The Blue Jay has whistles and gurgling sounds in its repertoire as well.
Listen to the song of the Blue Jay: Sound Byte: Blue Jay, National Park Service
Common Birds and Their Songs
by Lang Elliott

Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)
This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.
The Blue Jay will use calls to round up help when potential predators such as hawks are lurking near nesting sites. They will then ban together and drive the predator away.
Behavior
The Blue Jay is both aggressive and territorial. Group of Blue Jays will attack intruders and predators that move into their territory.
If the weather is mild and the food plentiful, Blue Jays may winter over in their breeding grounds. But when they do migrate, they form loose flocks of 5 to 250 traveling only during daylight hours.
Canon Digital Rebel
Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - Black
Amazon Price: $619.00 (as of 02/13/2012)![]()
I have used a simple point and shoot camera for years. They're great for taking pictures at family gatherings and picnics, but when it came to photographing wildlife, I was always disappointed with the results. I couldn't get a close-up without compromising the quality of the picture. I started researching cameras and came up with the Canon Rebel. It's a step above the POINT and SHOOT but not so complicated that it ends up setting on the shelf.
Peterson's Field Guide to Birds
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
Amazon Price: $9.92 (as of 02/13/2012)![]()
An absolute must have for anyone with a birdfeeder and an interest in watching the birds.
Attracting Birds to Your Yard
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
Amazon Price: $59.42 (as of 02/13/2012)![]()
If you want to see a gyrfalcon or a fork-tailed flycatcher, this resource might be your best help in spotting them. Mostly for serious birders intent on adding species to their life lists, America's 100 Most Wanted Birds provides detailed strategies for locating 100 of the most uncommon-to-rare bird species in the United States.
Some of my Favorite Backyard Birds

The Bold and BeautifulThe American Goldfinch
The Blue Jay
The Northern Cardinal
Cheerful Singers
The European Starling
The Northern Mockingbird

The American Robin
The Shy Ones The Eastern Bluebird
The Carolina Wren
Do the Blue Jays visit your birdfeeder?
-
Reply
-
JeanJohnson
Apr 29, 2011 @ 6:16 pm | delete
- nice lens :)
-
-
Reply
-
bird man
Oct 21, 2010 @ 4:22 pm | delete
- excellent
-
-
Reply
-
Sylvestermouse
Oct 20, 2010 @ 11:11 am | delete
- Blue Jays are really beautiful and I guess they can be bullies, but I can't help but love them :)
-
-
Reply
-
KimGiancaterino Jul 27, 2009 @ 3:58 pm | delete
- You've been blessed by a Squid Angel, and this lens was included in Another Day of One Hundred Squid Angel Blessings.
-
-
Reply
-
Tipi
Jul 21, 2009 @ 5:50 pm | delete
- The Blue Jay is one of my favorite birds. Last summer I had the privilege of having one land on a railing about 8 feet from me. It sat there looking at me for about 5 minutes and as if to say, "who are you and what are you doing here?" After it flue away into a near by tree it sang me the most beautiful song I had ever heard a bird sing. That was a special moment and I can only hope that I will always remember that moment and time.
Fantastic lens Lizzy, as always!
Susie
-
- Load More
About the Author
Bird Watcher's Digest
Bird Watchers Digest
Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 02/13/2012)![]()
Keep current with what's happening in the birding world. Bird Watcher's Digest offers great articles and pictures, as well as information on conservation effort and research. I receive several birding magazines each month but its Bird Watcher's that has me dropping everything to sit down and read.
6 issues/12 months
Resources used to build this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Seattle Audubon Society
Blue Jay-Cyanocitta cristata, Nature Works
Blue Jay, Hinterland Who's Who
by ElizabethJeanAllen
I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three. more »
- 255 featured lenses
- Winner of 17 trophies!
- Top lens » The Mallard Duck








