This large bright blue and white bird features a crest on it’s head that moves up and down at will. Unlike many of our backyard birds there is little difference between the male and female and the juvenile is the same as the adult only duller. Some people love seeing this bird for it’s beauty but other don’t like it because it can scare off other backyard birds. The Blue Jay has been known to scream like a hawk to scatter birds at a feeder before approaching it. This bird is also one of the few birds to catch food and will occasionally eat eggs or young birds from the nest of other birds, but this is pretty rare. Jays are birds of forest edges. A favorite food is acorns so they are often found near oaks. They glean insects and take nuts and seeds in trees, shrubs, and on the ground and will also eat grains. One of their favorites to eat from a feeding station is peanuts! Try offering splits, or even straight peanut in the shell! These birds are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds. They store food in caches to eat later and their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period.
Podcast: Play in new window
therockpile
