Blue Jays - The Bird We Love to Hate

TOP 5 REASONS WE HATE BLUE JAYS

1.  They're loud
Blue Jays are one of the most vocal and loudest birds in the yard.  But it works to their advantage and to the advantage of the other birds as well.  Hey, you know they're there!
 
2.  They're big and "scare" away the little birds
They are big and littler birds may leave when the jays come, but the little guys always come back, don't they?

3.  They scatter seeds all over the place
They're looking for their favorite seed or nut, or the one that weighs the most.  Put a tray under your feeder to catch their mess!

4.  They come in a gang
Members of the jay family will flock together.  Several adults may tend to the young jays, helping their survival.  It's an advantage to work together to find food sources.

5.  They're piggy and eat all the seed
They can eat a lot of seed and especially love peanuts.  I put out peanuts-in-the-shell only occasionally since they can clean out a Peanut Pantry in less than an hour!

YES, BUT...READ ON!

TOP 5 REASONS WE SHOULD LOVE BLUE JAYS

1.  They're a beautiful bird
From their blue and white-jeweled wing feathers to the soft gray underparts, their jaunty crest and black necklace, the Blue Jay is a gorgeous bird to see!

2.  They're fun to watch and listen to
They have a variety of calls and behaviors that are interesting to hear and observe.  They do a great hawk imitation or can sound like a rusty gate! 

3.  They plant trees
Jays store food like acorns by caching them.  The ones they don't recover can grow to be a mighty oak!

4.  They're smart
Members of the corvid family (which also includes crows) are known as being among the most intelligent of birds.

5.  They protect other birds by being the flock "watch dog"
Jays serve as yard sentries, calling loudly if a predator is in the area.  Watch all the other birds flee the area or freeze in place when jays let out a warning call.

Comments

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Wendy, let's hope those kitties don't kill all your jays. Best to keep cats indoors!

[Wendy MacEachen]

I have two cats who will come when I call""kitty,kitty,kitty,"out my back door.For several years we have had one jay(and I want to believe it's the same one each year)who comes and parks its self at the top of a spruce tree in my backyard and calls,"kitty,kitty,kitty,"as long as I do.Smart or what.We back onto a very forested area and as much as I complain about my "my blue bullies",I still love them.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Pete, hang a couple feeders just for the smaller birds - ones with very small or no perches at all or feeders that require the bird to cling, which jays have a harder time doing.

[Pete]

How do I keep the small birds coming in with Blue Jays around?

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

David - very sweet video. Thanks for sharing.

[David Duncan]

I'm a film maker and I got the chance to film a mother Blue Jay feeding her baby one day in my backyard youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4vnGSrb80

I have been making films for over 25 years.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Margaret - Don't you love looking over those old guides?
Lana - you crack me up.

[Lana]

I could never hate blue jays, despite their "flaws." I reserve that kind of emotion for my arch-nemesis, the Eastern gray squirrel (rat bastard grumble grumble swear.)

[Margaret]

At the risk of copyright infringement, I'll quote Chester A. Reed: "These are among our best-known and most beautiful birds, but their reputation is not good. They rob other birds of their eggs and nestlings and they sometimes make serious inroads on fruit crops, but they are not as bad as they are painted... Even if they were worse than they are, their flashing color could not be spared from the winter landscape."

And such is life! :)