Learn about the notoriously vocal, intelligent, and boisterous blue jay.
Meet the Blue Jay
The blue jay is a large songbird of 10 to 12 inches who is distinguished by its bright blue wing feathers, blue-gray body, and white belly. Blue jays have a feathered crest on their head that can be raised or lowered and have a distinct black “necklace” around their necks.
Biology and Habitat
Blue jays are abundant in the eastern part of the United States and are increasingly moving out west. The birds can be found in mixed forest and woodlands--particularly around forest edges--and in deciduous or coniferous forest. They also live in urban and suburban areas, especially if those areas are populated by oak trees.
Blue jays are partially migratory, meaning some jays migrate south each year and others stay put. Certain jays have been observed to migrate every other year. Ornithologists are unclear why there is no consistent pattern of blue jay migration. Blue jays that migrate do so in large flocks of hundreds of birds.
A typical blue jay clutch consists of four to six eggs, with incubation lasting about 17 days. Nests are constructed from sticks and twigs that are housed in bushes or trees. Blue jays are monogamous, with most birds mating for life.
Behavior
There’s no mistaking when a blue jay is near. They are notoriously noisy birds with songs consisting of a large variety of calls, the most popular being a harsh “jeer” and a loud “Jay! Jay! Jay!” Blue jays have been known to imitate calls of hawks, either in attempt to deceive other species that a hawk in nearby or to warn other birds to take cover.
Blue jays are intelligent. Captive blue jays have been known to use tools. When a piece of food dropped outside of their cage, the birds made tools out of strips of newspaper to push the food within reach. In the wild, blue jays are often aggressive, territorial, and inherently social. They can be found in pairs or small flocks.
Diet
Even though blue jays are omnivorous, they eat a mostly vegetarian diet consisting of acorns, nuts, and seeds. They may also eat mice, frogs, and insects. Many people complain about blue jays eating eggs and nestlings of other birds, but these blue jays are in the minority. Some birds will bury acorns to eat later on, forget where they cached the food, and aid in the growth of a new tree.
Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta