The Bird of the Week: Blue Jay

Blue Jay are one of the most striking of our local feeder birds, with their brilliant blue crest and wings contrasted with a black collar and white face.  They are larger than many other feeder birds, and noisier as well! Here in New Jersey, Blue Jays can be spotted year-round, and although they prefer oak trees, they are prevalent in many different kind of forests and at bird feeders.

Blue Jay feed on nuts, fruits, insects and grains, and some of their favorite feeder offerings include peanuts, suet and Black Oil Sunflower seeds.  Hopper or platform feeders and suet cages secured to a tree or post are preferred over feeders that hang.

Known for their intelligence, Blue Jays are great communicators using both body language—specifically through the lowering and raising of their crests—and many different vocalizations. They are able to mimic other birds’ calls including hawks, and in captivity have even been found to imitate human speech and meowing cats.