There are two schools of thought when it comes to blue jays. Some people view them as bullies who dominate other birds with their aggressive demeanor, while others, such as myself, find joy in the colorful and lively behavior that blue jays bring to our bird feeders during the winter months.
My personal experience with blue jays revolves around a feeder outside my bedroom window. While I appreciated the visits of chickadees, juncos, and nuthatches, the arrival of a blue jay was always a thrilling sight. With its distinct crest, long tail, and unmistakable attitude, the blue jay made an entrance that said, “Watch out! The jay has arrived!”
Over time, my observations of blue jays have led me to believe that they possess remarkable intelligence and often find their daily lives mundane. As a result, they frequently come up with ways to add excitement and entertainment to their existence. However, before we delve into their amusing antics, it’s important to understand their role in the natural world.
Let’s talk about the color and home of a blue jay. It’s notable that the feathers of a blue jay don’t contain genuine blue pigments. Rather, they have cells that soak up all colors except blue. When exposed to light, their blue hues become more intense, but when there’s no direct sunlight, their blue colors may look less lively.
Blue jays are a magnificent combination of colors, consisting of black, white, and blue. They have black bars and white tips on their wings and tail, while their underside is a grayish-white color with black markings. The blue jay’s shield is blue at the front and transitions to black at the back. Their heads are framed by white sides and marked by a distinct black line that runs through their eyes. It is important to note that both male and female blue jays share this beautiful coloration.
Blue jays are adaptable and can thrive in various habitats, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. They are equally comfortable living in urban areas and residential neighborhoods. In fact, blue jays are more commonly seen in communities than in nearby mature forests in places like Illinois.
Blue jays have a diverse palette when it comes to their food preferences, making them true omnivores. They enjoy a broad range of foods, including ground beetles, caterpillars, click beetles, wireworms, wasps, spiders, millipedes, and snails. Interestingly, research has shown that bird eggs and chicks only make up about 1% of their diet. While they do occasionally prey on chicks, most nest failures are due to other predators such as hawks, owls, and hawks.
Blue jays also play a crucial role in seed dispersal, particularly for forest trees and shrubs. They consume a significant portion of their diet from beech nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, and acorns, which make up about 43% of their diet. One of the most impressive things about blue jays is their ability to store nuts for future consumption. They are capable of storing up to 100 sunflower seeds in their throat and retrieving them later. This talent makes them an essential contributor to the ecosystem.
The amazing vocal skills of blue jays are not to be overlooked. They are known for more than just their vibrant feathers and diverse eating habits. Blue jays possess an impressive assortment of sounds such as beckoning, rattling, pumping, swallowing, peeping, whispering, squawking, and contacting calls. Each of these unique vocalizations serves its own purpose and covers a wide range of sounds.
The blue jay is a bird species known for its unique vocal abilities. When feeling threatened, they emit a loud and non-musical cry called the mocking cry. Interestingly, other birds recognize this call as a warning signal and respond accordingly. Blue jays are known to act as neighborhood sentinels in this way. Additionally, they are also known to imitate the calls of birds of prey like hawks and owls. The reasons behind this behavior are not entirely clear, but it’s speculated that they may be warning others of the presence of a predator, imitating familiar sounds they have encountered, or trying to trick other species into believing that a hawk is nearby. Overall, the blue jay’s intelligence, ability to adapt to different diets, and vocal prowess make it a fascinating and multifaceted member of the avian world. These clever birds bring color, surprise, and entertainment to our natural environment. Whether seen as jesters or protectors of the bird kingdom, they undoubtedly have a significant role to play in nature’s tapestry.
