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The beautiful BlueJay @my house
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Interesting Blue Jay Facts 1.Blue jays are known to mimic the sound of hawks notably the red-shouldered hawk. These calls are said to inform other jays that a hawk is present. In some cases, it is used to frighten and deceive other birds into believing that a hawk is around. This hawk sound is usually heard when the blue jays are in search of food and want to get the food of other birds near them. 2.The blue jay has been chosen as mascots of various sports groups. An example is Canada¡¦s professional baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays. 3.Blue jays are very territorial. They would often chase cats, dogs and even humans who go near their nests and feeding areas. 4.The aggressive behavior of blue jays turns off many backyard birders. Being large and noisy, they also eat a lot and are very domineering. They can even steal the food of other birds. 5.The young blue jays are the ones who usually migrate although there are adults who migrate as well. Some jays may go southbound in a year, go to the north during the winter and migrate again to the south in the following year. 6.Though blue jays are believed to eat the eggs and nestlings of other small birds, a study of their feeding habits has found that only one percent of them showed proof of eggs or birds in their stomachs. What the researchers found was a diet composed mostly of insects and nuts. 7.It¡¦s hard to distinguish the male blue jays from the females just by mere observation. They are said to be ¡§sexual monomorphic¡¨ or look exactly the same. About The Blue Jay The blue jay is a member of the crow family or corvidae that includes ravens, rooks, jackdaws and magpies. The fossil remains of this bird were discovered from Miocene deposits more than 25 million years ago. Its scientific name “cyanocitta cristata” comes from Greek and Latin words which mean crested, blue chattering bird. Blue jays are native to the Nearctic region and are mostly found in Southern Canada such as in Newfoundland and Alberta as well as in northeastern Texas, southern Florida and in the east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. According to a survey on breeding birds, the blue jay population across the U.S., especially in the east, has slightly decreased. The drop in their numbers is attributed to the migrant species although no concrete proof has been found. This passerine bird measuring between nine to 12 inches in length is known for its bright blue and white color. It’s blue on top and white to gray from the throat down to its belly. The blue color of the bird’s feather is not actually blue because it is only an effect of refraction or light distortion. Its lower throat also has a so-called black necklace. The blue jay can also be distinguished by its gray-blue crest on top of its head and wings and tails that have black and white bars. As for its bill, legs and feet, they are all colored black. The Blue Jay Nesting Preferences Blue jays prefer to live in mixed wood and deciduous forests, parks and residential areas in the different parts of eastern North America. Their range spans the areas of Newfoundland to central Alberta in Canada and south to Florida and the eastern part of Texas. They occupy habitats such as pine woods and fir trees in forests notably those that have clearings. They can also be found in suburban locations and city parks. Although they are typically noisy birds, blue jays tend to be quiet when in their nest. Their nests are located at a height between eight and 30 feet usually on top of a coniferous or deciduous tree. These passerine birds make use of sticks, barks, leaves, roots, twigs and grass in making their cup-shaped nests atop trees or shrubs. The Blue Jay Mating Habits Blue jays are loyal to their mates and form lasting bonds until one of them dies. Courtship is said to begin in early May each year. A group of seven or more blue jays including one female would gather on top of a tree. When the female flies away, she will be followed by the males until she lands in another location. The males will show off by nodding their heads up and down. Of course, the female will then choose her mate and the nesting cycle comes next. This nodding motion is typical of blue jays during courtship and when they are fighting. A clue that the bird gives up or submits itself is when it crouches down and fluffs its feathers with its crest in an erect position or what is known as the “body fluff.” After a female blue jay picks her mate, the pair then leaves the group. The chosen one strengthens their bond by providing food to the female. This ability is very crucial since it somehow tests the male’s ability to get food for their future family. The male also brings special twigs which are carefully examined by the female before putting in their prospective nest. The nest may be situated on a hardwood tree, an evergreen or an artificial structure like a power pole or windowsill. If the pair finds the area suitable, they start looking for bigger twigs to create a platform. From there, they build a softer cup for the eggs made of roots and thin vines. The Blue Jay Feeding Preference Blue jays eat both plants and animals. They eat nuts, fruits, seeds, insects, mice, frogs, small birds and bird eggs. The other animals they can eat include grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, carrion or dead animal and small vertebrates. Their diet during the winter, however, consists mostly of vegetables such as acorns, beech nuts, berries and seeds. When eating nuts, the blue jays hold the nut with their feet and use their heavy bill to crack the shell of nuts or open cocoons. This bird is often seen carrying acorns and beechnuts which they hide under leaves, in grass or in hollow trees. During the winter season, they bring their food like bread and sunflower seeds away from feeding stations and keep them under trees and shrubs for consumption at a later time. Feeders in backyards containing peanuts, mixed grains and sunflower seeds normally attract the blue jays. They seem to like holding nuts and pecking them to open to get the kernels inside. These intelligent passerine birds can be naughty, too. They display a variety of behaviors just to get food and defend themselves. They can steal food from other birds’ nests and take advantage of any food resource available. They even enjoy going to backyard feeders that contain black oil sunflower seeds. And did you know that they know how to stock on food for later use? Blue jays normally prefer to store acorns in the crevices of barks of trees or in the soil.
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bootcats gone wild
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thanks for adding all of the new pics,i love them all:wild animals drive me "wild"
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i changed the group name to wild animals,for the animals and to display home made pics.
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Group looks wonderful Tressie. Dropped in to say hello.
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