The Blue Jay

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Ranked #264 in Animals, #8,268 overall

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.

What?

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.

 

Visitor in Blue


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.

Nesting Habits 

Blue Jays nest in trees and shrubs. The female builds a nest of sticks and twigs. It's lined with grass. The female lays four to six bluish eggs with brownish spots. The eggs are predominately incubated by the female, but both the male and female feed the chicks.

 

Blue Jay


Feeding Blue Jays 

Audubon Safe Haven Bird Feeder
Audubon Safe Haven Bird Feeder


Sunflower Seed And Peanut Feeder
Sunflower Seed And Peanut Feeder

Eating Habits


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.



Globe - Super Cling A Wing
Globe - Super Cling A Wing

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.

Peterson's Field Guide to Birds 

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)

Amazon Price: $16.38 (as of 11/23/2009)Buy Now

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: $18.96 (as of 11/23/2009)Buy Now

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.

Seen any interesting birds lately? 

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About the Author 

Lensmaster ElizabethJeanAllen has been a member since March 16 2008, has rated 3,943 lenses, favorited 445, and has created 195 lenses from scratch. Lizzy Jean donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "The Mallard Duck". See all my lenses

Why Birds Do That  

Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 11/23/2009)Buy Now

Birds are fascinating. Their behavior is complex, often comical. Some sing while others do not. Why Birds Do That explains forty distinctive bird behaviors and is enhanced with numerous photographs. It is a must have book for both the backyard bird watcher as well as the avid birder.

Resources used to build this page. 

Dunn, J.L. & Alderfer, J., Editors. 2006. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition. National Geographic Society.

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

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