See all posts in the Birds of Carver County series
The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a strikingly beautiful bird native to North America, easily recognized by its bright blue plumage, white chest, and black markings on its head.
Found in forests, parks and residential areas, the Blue Jay is a common sight across the states east of the Rockies. Although they can be seen throughout the year in Minnesota, large groups often move south for the winter and back north in spring.
Blue Jays are omnivores, feeding on seeds, nuts, fruits, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates. Their fondness for acorns makes them important contributors to oak forest regeneration, as they often bury acorns that later germinate.
Very vocal, Blue Jays communicate using a variety of calls, ranging from harsh sounds to softer, melodic notes.
In the Sibley Guide to Birds, the calls are described as “jaaay,” “toolili,” and “shkrrr.” One call is described as a repetitive squeaky water pump handle. They will often travel in groups and call to each other as they disperse and land in trees near each other. If an owl is nearby, jays will join in the chorus of scolding songbirds that urge the owl to move along.
Blue Jays are skilled at mimicking hawks so that other birds will seek refuge, leaving food sources to themselves. When they arrive at feeders, they come in with a flourish so they can feast at seed trays without competition.
Renowned for their curiosity and intelligence, Blue Jays belong to the corvid family, which includes crows and ravens. Other birds guard their nests against jays because, like their crow cousins, jays will prey on eggs and nestlings. They will aggressively defend their own nest and remain with the same mate for several years.
While their bright blue color is iconic, it is not due to pigmentation but rather the scattering of light by microscopic feather structures. This characteristic enables them to almost disappear when in the shade of leafy trees and their blue changes into gray.
Our county’s namesake, Jonathan Carver, is quoted as saying, “Upon the whole, this bird can scarcely be exceeded in beauty by any of the winged inhabitants of this or other climates.”
References for more information:
- Birds of Minnesota, Robert F. Janssen.
- Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds.
- Birds of the World, Cornell Lab, https://birdsoftheworld.org.
