Blue Jay

Welcome to this week’s Wildlife of the Week!

Cyanocitta cristata Blue Jay

The Blue Jay is this week's colorful and boisterous Wildlife of the Week. This large songbird (nine to twelve inches long) is common on the refuge year round. It is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, a perky blue crest and a black, U-shaped collar around its neck. Normally the crest flattens on the head but when excited or aggressive the crest will be fully raised. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year.

Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and aggressiveness. They will often visit bird feeders and will chase other birds away. Blue jays feed mainly on seeds and nuts and they especially like acorns which they may hide to eat later. They typically glean seeds and nuts from trees, shrubs, and the ground. They can be very aggressive to other birds and sometimes raid nests, stealing eggs and even nestlings of other birds.

They will often mimic the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

The blue jays in the photos were spotted near the Visitor Center.

(Photos by Tom Ress)