We have a good population of boisterous Blue Jays in the backyard.  You can’t really miss them for a variety of reasons.  Obviously they are very colorful…really one of the prettiest birds around with that vibrant blue color.  Their talkative nature with a wide variety of calls is a dead giveaway too.

Here’s a few cool things about Blue Jays you might find interesting.

We’ll start with that vibrant blue color.  They really stand out against most anything else in the backyard.  But what you would say if I told you their feathers weren’t really blue?  Crazy right?!  Their blue coloration isn’t a result of pigment; it’s actually caused by the structure of their feathers, which scatter light in a way that makes them appear blue.

Jays in general, are incredibly smart, adaptable birds.  They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, and fruits, and sometimes even a bug or two.  I know in my backyard they go for the peanut pieces first!

Vocally they have a huge array of calls, chirps, and squeaks…I know, it’s not the most scientific way to describe a call, but really, they can run the gamut on the vocabulary.  They can also mimic other birds calls too.  

The oldest known wild Blue Jay lived to 17 years and six months of age.  This is pretty good for a backyard bird!

Another neat thing about Jays is they are very social birds.  They hang in small family groups and usually stick pretty close together.  This can make for a squabble now and then, which is really interesting to watch, but for the most part they get along really well…and there is a noticeable cooperative effort, especially when predators are around.  In other words, they have each others back!

I know one thing for sure…my backyard would not be the same without the regular visits of our Blue Jay family…they are beautiful to look at, and very entertaining to watch!