|
|
|
|
|
|
See Many Additional Blue Jay Photos
in the Gallery
When a blue jay eats his favorite food, he usually follows
a special procedure.
Carefully he turns the peanut shell or shakes it vigorously to see if peanuts are inside.
He places the whole treat into his crop (a special pouch in the esophagus that
temporarily stores food). His throat is very large, but now he
can snatch another full
peanut before flying off to eat or bury in a cache (a
storage area for food that may or may not be retrieved and
eaten later)
The blue jay is an easily recognized bird. In
spring when we first watched their behavior closely, we noticed
that not all of the group dropped to the ground or onto the
feeder area to eat . At least one jay would stay in the
branches or on the shed roof keeping watch. If the guard
bird sounded the alarm- a harsh, screaming "jaayy" call, the rest
of the blue jays and all the other birds would scatter
immediately with a quick take off for the trees or other
shelter. Jays are capable of imitating hawks, as well.
The blue jay, named for his raucous warning is truly the alarm
for the forests and the feeders. He knows how to clear the
room in a hurry.
 |
His feathers actually lack blue pigment, but the refracted
sunlight casts him in a beautiful blue light. He is a
perfect bird for photographing. The blue jay is not afraid
to come close and he often pauses and poses while eating.
Besides he's gorgeous! Okay, maybe not so much this August
when we noticed severe molting on the jays' heads and necks.
Even though this bird is very common in the eastern part of the
US, and very noisy, and sometimes very pushy at feeders, the
blue jays have been loyal and welcome visitors to our backyard.
|
|
Size:
|
Length:
11 to 12.5 in Weight: 3 oz
Wingspan: 16 in
|
|
ID:
|
Male: Blue crest, neck,
back, wings and tail (feathers contain no blue pigment but
refracted sunlight creates the appearance of blue); crest can be
raised or lowered at will; face and neck are white; black
necklace; grayish underparts; wings have white spots and fine
black-barred bands; tail has black bands and white corners;
black bill is long and conical; black feet anisodactylous (three
toes point forward and one toe points backward)
Female: Same as male
Juvenile: Similar to adult but duller
|
|
Habitat:
|
Parks and backyards and woodlands with
mature, deciduous trees
|
|
Diet:
|
Forages ground for insects, seeds, nuts, and
berries; will eat eggs, nestlings and carrion; will visit ground feeders for peanuts, sunflower seeds and corn;
caches food and forgets some seeds thus perpetuating new tree growth
|
|
Family Behavior:
|
Mating Habits: Monogamous
and solitary; 1-2 broods per year
Local Breeding Period: Early May
Nests: Cup shaped; built by both sexes; made of twigs,
bark, grass, paper, string, and feathers in crotch of tree or vines
Eggs: 3-7 pale greenish blue to olive green with dark
brown dots and blotches; mostly female incubates 16-18 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and
stay in nest 17-21 days; fed by both parents
|
|
Social Activities:
|
Noisy and boisterous
(except during nesting period); usually in pairs or flocks;
highly intelligent and can solve problems
|
|
Range:
|
Eastern and mid US and southern Canada;
non-migrator to partial for food source
|
|
Vocalization:
|
Will warn other birds of predators with loud
jay jay jay; song a musical weedle weedle; can mimic other birds
especially hawks
|
|
Sighted in our Backyard: |
Year round |
|
Lifespan: |
Up to 7 years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note Worthy 1
Blue Jay Guardian
When a group of birds are threatened, the blue jay stands as the
guardian - sounding the alarm to alert the other nearby birds to the
presence of danger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
