365 Urban Species. #046: Blue Jay
Photo by cottonmanifesto
Urban Species #046: Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata.
If you only saw one blue jay per year it would be a magic experience,
that you would tell people about for months. They are large
brilliant birds possesing a hue that few other natural things share: a
few flowers, a handful of precious gems, and the sky on a clear day.
As it is, if you live where there are jays, you see them often, and
hear them almost constantly.
There are two main kinds of blue jays in North America, the crested
jays and the scrub jays. They share a loud, piercing, sometimes
metallic voice, a bold demeanor, and the reputation that follows.
Scrub jays are found in Florida and in the west; Steller's jays, blue
with black, are crested jays found west of the rockies, while the blue
with white crested jays (simply called "blue jays," for no great
reason) occur in the east, and are spreading west. Paradoxically, the
people for whom familiarity has bred the most contempt for jays, are
those who keep birdfeeders. Of course, these are the same people who
are responsible, in part, for the success of the urban blue jay.
Until the early twentieth century, jays were considered woodland
creatures, associated with nut-bearing trees like oak and beech. Like
their larger cousins the crows and ravens, jays cache food items. One
reason for their unpopularity among the birdfeeder set, is their habit
of stuffing their crop (a specialized widening of the esophagus) full
of sunflower seed over and over again, making sorties until the seed
is gone, or the jay is chased off. Being large, aggressive birds they
can dominate the feeders, preventing more desirable birds from
visiting. Additionally, jays are occasional nest predators, eating
the eggs and young of other birds. This habit is exaggerated, but
memorable. I recall encountering a jay flitting about with its maw
completely stuffed with the limp body of a nearly full grown house
sparrow fledgling.
EDIT:
If anyone reading this has taken a photograph of a Scrub Jay or Steller's Jay that they would like to post in the comments, I would like that.