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Blue Jay
Photos by Bruce
Dayton
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ORDER:
Passeriformes
FAMILY: Corvidae (Crows, Magpies, Jays - 18
Species)
SPECIES:
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta
cristata)
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Blue Jay |
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Blue Jays form life-long bonds with their mate until one of the pair dies. Blue jays are one of the few birds that store food for use at another time. Blue jays will often mimic the call of hawks. Blue Jays are well-known for their raucous and shrill sounds, but they have a softer nasal sound. |
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SIZE |
Medium sized (9-12”) colorful songbird. |
| DESCRIPTION | Because
of its large size, blue coloration with black and white markings and
large crest, the Blue Jay is quite distinctive and is easily recognized.
They are blue above with a partial black neck band and dull gray to
whitish below. Their wings are spotted white with black markings and
their long blue tail has black bars and white corners.
Sexes are similar in appearance. |
| NESTING | Clutch size ranges from 4-6 eggs, which are incubated in 16 to 18 days. During incubation, the male supplies food for the female. They build their nests in trees or shrubs, occasionally in a tree cavity. It is made with twigs, bark, grass, weeds, feathers and paper. Both adults help build the nest. |
| RANGE | The Blue Jay is common in southern Canada and in the United States, east of the Rock Mountains. The blue jay is a permanent resident in many areas, but the northern populations will move south in the winter. |
| HABITAT | It habitats deciduous forests, urban and suburban areas including parks and open woods. |
| DIET | The blue jay is omnivorous. It eats fruits, acorns, seeds, nuts, insects as well as mice and frogs. It is a common sight at bird feeders and bird baths in residential areas. A Blue Jays will hide more food than it can possibly eat. |
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| Blue Jay | |
| Groton
Township Tompkins County, New York |
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| BlJy_250A_037834 | BlJy_250A_037230 |
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| BlJy_250A_037533 | BlJy_250A_210146 |
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| Blue Jay Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes |
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| INTERESTING FACTS |
| Nictitating membrane |
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A transparent fold of skin, present in birds, which can be drawn across the eye to form a third eyelid. The function of this membrane is to clean the surface of the eye and protect it from dust particles and injury. |
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| The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit. |
NOTE: This site will be updated as time and pictures become available.
Visit Mammals of North America
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta
cristata)
Updated 10-19-2008
