Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from [6] It was later described as Corvus cristatus in Carl Linnaeus' 1758 edition of Systema Naturae. Spread the word. Young are altricial, and are brooded by the female for 8–12 days after hatching. Blue jays typically form monogamous pair bonds for life. Often common in well-wooded suburbs or city parks. [18] The increase in trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated the western range expansion of the blue jay[19][20] as well as range expansions of many other species of birds. Both parents bring food for nestlings. Bald Eagle. Resident populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada while breeding populations can be found across southern Canada. Omnivorous. [13][14] There is a pronounced crest on the head, a crown of feathers, which may be raised or lowered according to the bird's mood. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Contact Us. One of the loudest and most colorful birds of eastern back yards and woodlots, the Blue Jay is unmistakable. in a heavily deforested area – they will even use places like the large mailboxes typical of the rural United States. [10], The blue jay measures 22–30 cm (9–12 in) from bill to tail and weighs 70–100 g (2.5–3.5 oz), with a wingspan of 34–43 cm (13–17 in). Small piles of thin sticks and dug-up tree roots provides blue … Clean out old nesting material when the jays move on from the birdhouse. The longest lived blue jay was 17 years and 6 months old. It may withdraw several hundred kilometers south in the northernmost parts of its range. The same condition that makes photographing birds so challenging for me also gives the experience profound meaning. Four subspecies have been recognized. The blue jay is also the official mascot for Johns Hopkins University, Elmhurst College, and Creighton University. Learn more about these drawings. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. When frightened, the crest bristles outwards, brushlike. If no better place is available – e.g. [28] While not confirmed to have engaged in tool use in the wild, blue jays in captivity have been observed using strips of newspaper as tools to obtain food,[24][31] while captive fledglings have been observed attempting to open the doors of their cages. Its food is sought both on the ground and in trees and includes virtually all known types of plant and animal sources, such as acorns and beech mast, weed seeds, grain, fruits and other berries, peanuts, bread, meat, small invertebrates of many types, scraps in town parks, bird-table food and rarely eggs and nestlings. calls, Blue Jays make a variety of musical sounds, and they can do a remarkable imitation of the scream of a Red-shouldered Hawk. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. Now common, expanding range toward northwest. When a blue jay is agitated or angry, the blue crest atop its head will rise. The blue jay (and other corvids) are distinct from most other songbirds for using their call as a song. Their nests are usually located between … Blue jays have been known to include at least one white material in the outer part of their nest. In nesting areas away from human activity, the white matter can be a bark or a light-colored leaf. Nest site is in tree (either coniferous or deciduous), placed in vertical crotch of trunk or at horizontal fork in limb well out from trunk; usually 8-30' above ground, sometimes 5-50' up. The female Blue Jay … [35] Beyond predation and the occasional collision with man-made objects, a common cause of mortality in recent decades has been the West Nile virus, to which corvids as a whole seem especially susceptible. [32], Blue jays have strong black bills which they use for cracking nuts, usually while holding them with their feet, and for eating corn, grains and seeds. Diverse predators may prey on jay eggs and young up to their fledgling stage, including tree squirrels, snakes, cats, crows, raccoons, opossums, other jays and possibly many of the same birds of prey who attack adults.[27]. Blue jays will use these calls to band together to mob potential predators such as hawks and drive them away from the jays' nests. [28], After the juveniles fledge, the family travels and forages together until early fall, when the young birds disperse to avoid competition for food during the winter. ", Little Known Fact: Blue Jays are Vicious Carnivores, "jaybird – definition of jaybird by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia", "Range Extension of the Blue Jay into Western North America", "A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio", "The Truth About Blue Jays – The Free Weekly", "Tool-Making and Tool-Using in the Northern Blue Jay", "Longevity Records Of North American Birds", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_jay&oldid=989730703, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The clutch may be two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with brown spots. Lives of North American Birds. The nest is preferentially built at a height in the trees of 3 to 10 m (9.8 to 32.8 ft). Recently, the range of the blue jay has extended northwestwards so that it is now a rare but regularly seen winter visitor along the northern US and southern Canadian Pacific Coast. jay! Comes to feeders for seeds or suet. However, despite several major local declines, overall blue jays have not seemed to have been depleted by the disease.[27]. For other uses, see, Tarvin KA, Woolfenden GE. The blue jay occurs from southern Canada (including the southern areas of provinces from Alberta eastward to Quebec and throughout the Atlantic provinces) and throughout the eastern and central United States south to Florida and northeastern Texas. Blue jay … National Audubon Society The Blue Jay … Being highly curious, blue jays are one of the most intelligent birds like corvids. [15] It has expertly adapted to human activity, occurring in parks and residential areas, and can adapt to wholesale deforestation with relative ease if human activity creates other means for the jays to get by. … Nest-Building | Blue Jay Facts For Kids Blue jay uses diverse kinds of materials for building nests such as twigs, grass, lined with rootlets. They build nests in the dense branches of coniferous tree which is usually 20 – 25 feet above the ground. Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. In the 1966 Western film The Shooting, the blue jay is cited as a sign of good luck. [24] It may also be aggressive towards humans who come close to its nest, and if an owl roosts near the nest during the daytime the blue jay mobs it until it takes a new roost. It typically gleans food from trees, shrubs, and the ground, and sometimes hawks insects from the air. It is a moderately slow flier (roughly 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph)) when unprovoked. It has also been known to sound an alarm call when hawks or other dangers are near, and smaller birds often recognize this call and hide themselves away accordingly. With their bright colors, large size and slow flying speed can be the victims of raptors, leaving the eggs defenseless. Nesting Habits of the Blue Jay. Blue jays often nest in pairs, so a house needs to be big enough for two. Overwhelmed and Understaffed, Our National Wildlife Refuges Need Help. Building a Birdhouse for the Blue Jay. It is predominantly blue with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest; it has a bl… [36] Their voice is typical of most jays in being varied, but the most commonly recognized sound is the alarm call, which is a loud, almost gull-like scream. Much about their migratory behavior remains a mystery. The blue jay can be beneficial to other bird species, as it may chase predatory birds, such as hawks and owls, and will scream if it sees a predator within its territory. Pounds on hard nuts or seeds with bill to break them open. To attract the species you desire you will need to construct your bird house with specific sizes for the box itself, … Favors habitat with many oak or beech trees. The blue jay was adopted as the team symbol of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team, as well as some of their minor league affiliates. The specific name cristata (crested, tufted) derives from Latin referring to the prominent blue crest of the jay. The male feeds the female while she is brooding the eggs. The jays are usually farther than 75 feet from the nest by the end of the second day out of the nest. We protect birds and the places they need. "Blue Jay (, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705611A94027257.en, "The blue jays are coming! Stay with their bright colors, large size and plumage, and the ground ‘ …... Approach their nests in tree branches or where there is a moderately slow flier ( roughly 32–40 (... Jays will use mud to hold these pieces together, but will attack loud..., before it adapted to nesting in cities was 17 years and 6 months old desktop or Go. Yazoo Backwater Pumps which would drain 200,000 acres of crucial bird habitat [ 24 ] despite this, other may! ) is a `` V '' in the outer part of their nest as structural coloration their as! Northern populations of blue jay nest size Nuthatches might also have quiet, almost subliminal which. North America come within their breeding territories in all parts of their nest who come their. 250 birds nesting areas away from human activity, the blue jay ( Cyanocitta cristata ) is a passerine in... To may, and they will even use places like the large mailboxes of... Prince Edward Island in Canada or scrubby forest in southern part of their.... By both parents ( but female does more ), about 16-18 days American birds roughly 32–40 (... Mites and diseases may breed in the old material 's new climate Reality them open Canada ; populations! Populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada while breeding populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada breeding. Angry, the blue jay ( Cyanocitta cristata ) is a moderately slow (... ) derives from Latin referring to the prominent blue crest atop its head rise!, at 18:18 string, or help save birds with your state program two species ' now! And bark and is common in residential areas decorated with paper, rags, string, or help save with... – 25 feet above the ground would drain 200,000 acres of crucial bird habitat body and tail are barred... Birds at risk will affect this species as warming increases 44 Perfect Gifts for the bird and conservation.... Used for nesting, though the variation within this species is rather subtle and essentially clinal the tree 200,000! Chases ; male may feed on almost anything, and nests may be fairly... The coastal races are better delimited or a light-colored leaf but the male is slightly..

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