Creature Feature - Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
This boldly coloured bird is a show-off. What other conclusion can you draw about a blue jay vocalizing to draw attention with its harsh voice and aggressive manner.
Jays belong to the same family, Corvidae, as crows, ravens and magpies and as many as 100 related species. They are capable of a wide variety of calls, but their noisy “Jay! Jay! Jay! “announces to all within earshot that a blue jay is present and is disturbed.
Their range is extensive: from Newfoundland to Alberta south to Florida and Texas.
Blue jays have three distinct features that readily identify them. First is their colour; second is their crest and the third is their raucous cry. Blue jays have black barring and white patches on their blue wings and tail. Also, they sport a black necklace on whitish underparts.
The scientific name, Cyanocitta cristata, is derived from Greek and Latin words and translates as crested, blue chattering bird. Males and females appear to be nearly alike. Both sport the characteristic crest that is raised or lowered to reflect the bird’s mood. Excitement or aggression cause the crest to be raised. In this condition, the crest is emphasized by a black band that crosses over the back of the head.
Although they have a reputation for destroying eggs and nestlings, their diet more commonly includes acorns, beechnuts and seeds as well as a variety of animal foods. These include grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars and small vertebrates. Blue jays are frequent bird feeder visitors where they may bully smaller birds out of the way. Their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period.
Jays are adaptable and will take advantage of any opportunity to find food. One blue jay was observed following a squirrel. As the mammal buried his finds, the jay swooped down and scratched the soil until the earth yielded up a prize. The nut was hastily cached in the bark of a tree and the jay returned to pursue the squirrel on its rounds.
Blue jays usually nest in coniferous trees less than 20 feet above the ground. Sometimes they will appropriate the nests of other birds. Four to five eggs are incubated for 17 or 18 days. Some 17 days after birth the young are feathered and ready to leave the nest although this may take as long as 21 days. The young jays follow their parents for from one to four months.
The oldest known wild, banded Blue Jay was at least 26 years, 11 months old when it was found dead after being caught in fishing gear. It had been banded in the Newfoundland/Labrador/St. Pierre et Miquelon area in 1989 and was found there in 2016.