This familiar, friendly and fun bird is not actually blue!
Their feathers are a dull brown. Like our Indigo Buntings and Eastern Bluebirds, the light is scattered and reflected creating their blue color. Have a close look at the black bridle and necklace. There are subtle yet extensive variations between individual birds.
Blue Jays are omnivores with a taste for peanuts and acorns. They have an expandable throat pouch and can be seen packing up and flying away from feeders – stashing for the upcoming winter. This species has been credited with helping “plant” oak trees since they sometimes forget where they hid all the acorns.
This bird has a large vocabulary and can mimic human speech, a cat’s meow and (most famously) the calls of hawks, eagles and owls. They mate for life and display close family bonds within their complex social communities.
Fun Facts
One banded wild Blue Jay reached the impressive age of 26 years, 11 months.
How to Identify a Blue Jay
Look for the feathered crest on the head, which can be raised and lowered according to their mood or purpose. Blue Jays are robin-sized with black bills, eyes, legs and feet.
Blue Jay Habitat
Frequently seen in urban and suburban landscapes as well as many types of forest edges.
Conservation Note
This intelligent bird has adapted well to human alterations upon the land. While numbers have declined, they still rate as a species of low concern – facing the usual dangers of housecats, poisons and window strikes.
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Birds of the Blue Ridge” showcases frequently seen and rare birds across the southern Appalachian region. For over four decades, Angela Minor has traveled with binoculars and field guides across the continental U.S., Alaska, the Caribbean and seven European countries. She is a contributing editor with BRC magazine and a freelance writer, penning travel and nature feature articles for several regional and national print publications. Angela created and authored the state park birding series for Bird Watcher’s Digest.
Read More by Angela Minor: BlueRidgeCountry.com/AngelaMinor
