Blue Jays

Blue jays are among the most aggressive and raucous birds that come to our feeder. They are said to mimic the cry of the red tailed hawk in order to scare other birds away as they approach the feeder. However, they are quite skittish of humans. Their sharp eyes spot any movement by me and my camera in the window adjacent to the feeder. The blue jays like the sunflower seeds in our feeder, but according to my bird book, "Michigan Bird Watching" by Bill Thompson III, they will eat practically anything including acorns, eggs and nestlings of other birds, grasshoppers, mice and frogs, and even dog food. If there are oak trees in the viscinity blue jays may bury as many as 5,000 acorns in the fall for future consumption. The many acorns that are never retrieved contribute to reforestation.

The blue jay's range includes most of eastern United States and Canada. They migrate southward from northern latitudes in early fall in flocks of 10 or more.

The female blue jay lays 4 to 6 eggs and incubates them for 18 days followed by 20 days of nestling care before the young jays fledge.

Source: "Michigan Bird Watching," by Bill Thompson III and the Staff of Bird Watcher's Digest, Cool Springs Press, Nashville, TN 37214.