The Blue Jay

Blue jays are a very common bird in our area. They are big, colorful and vocal. Their bright colors and bold personalities make them a delight to watch.

Blue jays are tricksters. They have the ability to imitate many sounds in their environment, including, but not limited to, hawks and other birds of prey. Researchers believe that they do this to warn other blue jays of impending danger. However, blue jays don’t shy away from using their imitating abilities to their advantage. It has been widely reported that blue jays will even use hawk sounds at bird feeders to scare other birds away.

Blue jays don’t just rely on their imitation ability to get what they want. It has also been reported that they use tools to get their desired effect. In a laboratory setting, blue jays were seen ripping thin pieces of paper and using those strips to reach food that was out of reach.

Blue Jays are a crowd favorite at the bird feeders in our backyards. But make no mistake, they are bullies and will chase all the smaller songbirds away from the feeders. They are bigger and louder than most of our other local backyard birds, and apparently smarter. They are one of the few birds that have been observed to store food for later use.

Some blue jays migrate south from our area in the fall, while others stay all winter. Incredibly, some blue jays have even been known to migrate every other year. Their migration patterns are sort of a mystery to the Audubon Society. While their migration patterns are scattered and not completely understood, it is generally known that blue jays do not migrate very far south from their hometowns. Many New York blue jays have been known to winter in Baltimore, but many stay put throughout the winter.

You may notice that blue jays become much more active and vocal in the fall. This is because their young have fledged, and they are no longer concerned with defending their nests. They are also merging into larger groups, some of them readying to migrate slightly south into Maryland/Virginia areas, some planning to stay put. But, for whatever reason, fall is the time for the blue jay to strut their stuff and take over our local treetops.

So, sit in your backyard or on your front stoop and enjoy the antics of our beautiful neighborhood blue jays!