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Blue Jay

(Cyanocitta cristata)

Photo: Ron Austing

Size             : 12 inches long (30cm)

Description      : Male   - Bright blue above, with black and white markings on wings and tail;
                            white below, with black facial markings; prominent blue crest
 
                   Female - Same as male

Preferred Habitat: Woodlands, parks, gardens,and yards, especially where there are oak trees

Preferred food   : Omnivorous; seeds, fruit, acorns, peanuts, young mice, nestlings, small fish and frogs,
                   baked goods
                   Not fond of small seeds at the feeder: their favorites are sunflowers, peanuts,
                   nutmeats, suet, peanut butter, corn
                   Prefer ground feeding; swinging feeders discourage their visits

Breeding Range   : East of the Rockies, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and 
                   to the Atlantic coast

Winter Range     : Permanent resident in breeding range, except for the northenmost areas

Interesting Facts:- Very handsome but noisy birds
                  - Have a variety of calls, among them, the well known, 'jay -jay', and the more 
                    musical, 'queedle, queedle'
                  - Courtship consists of bobbing and mate-feeding
                  - Not unusual for a flock of males chasing a female at breeding time
                    Gradually the numbers diminish, until one pair is left
                  - Nest is messy and careless in appearance; built by both parents, 
                    although the female seems to do a bigger share of the work 
                  - Nest building materials are thorny twigs, moss, rags, paper, leaves, bark, 
                    with a lining of grasses, leaves and feathers; they are gathered from the 
                    ground by both genders, but the males have also been observed breaking twigs from trees 
                  - Preferred nesting sites are evergreen trees  
                  - Beneficial birds because of the great amount of insects they consume and also because
                    they are gardeners of sorts:  they often bury acorns and nuts for future use and then
                    forget to retrieve them, thus planting many trees for the future