Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristataOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Crows and Jays (Corvidae)

Codes: Common Name: BLJA Scientific Name: CYACRI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179680

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Forest edge

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Widespread

Egg Color:

Pale blue green or green blue with brown marks

Number of Eggs:

3 - 7

Incubation Days:

16 - 18

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Twigs, bark, moss, grass, and sometimes paper and string.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Blue Jay: Medium-sized, noisy jay with bright blue upperparts, pale gray underparts, distinct head crest, and neck surrounded with a curious black necklace. Black-barred wings and tail have prominent white patches. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Blue Jay: Resident east of the Rockies, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, but slowly encroaching westward. Preferred habitats include evergreen forests, farmlands, groves, and suburbs.

Breeding and Nesting

Blue Jay: Three to seven brown marked, light blue green or green blue eggs are laid in a coarsely built nest made of sticks, lined with grass, and well concealed in a tree, often a conifer. Incubation ranges from 16 to 18 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Blue Jay: Feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, mice, and frogs; sometimes robs other nests for young birds and eggs. Opens nuts by holding them in place with feet and hammering the shell with bill.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn, Suet, Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

Blue Jay: Calls include raucous, harsh cries, and a rich variety of other sounds. Also makes a musical "queedle-queedle."

Similar Species

Blue Jay: Steller's Jay has dark underparts. Western and Florida Scrub-Jays lack crests.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay: Medium, noisy jay with bright blue upperparts, pale gray underparts, distinct head crest, and neck surrounded with a curious black necklace. Black-barred wings and tail have prominent white patches. Direct flight with steady and bouyant wing beats. Glides between perches or to the ground.

● Song: "jay, jay, jay", "thief, thief, thief!"

● Foraging & Feeding: Blue Jay: Feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, mice, and frogs; sometimes robs other nests for young birds and eggs. Opens nuts by holding them in place with feet and hammering the shell with bill.

● Breeding & nesting: Blue Jay: Three to seven brown marked, light blue green or green blue eggs are laid in a coarsely built nest made of sticks, lined with grass, and well concealed in a tree, often a conifer. Incubation ranges from 16 to 18 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Blue Jay: Steller's Jay has dark underparts. Western and Florida Scrub-Jays lack crests.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with buoyant steady wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Blue Jay: Resident east of the Rockies, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, but slowly encroaching westward. Preferred habitats include evergreen forests, farmlands, groves, and suburbs.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationWidespread

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight3 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Crest

Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Blue Jay

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Blue Jay

Flight Pattern