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Everything You Wondered About Blue Jays | 25 Questions Answered

Lesley the Bird Nerd

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Learn More About the Blue Jay
Playlist Learn All About the Blue Jay

Lesley the Bird Nerd Merchandise
https://www.lesleythebirdnerd.com

Time stamps
00:00 Intro
00:22 Where do Blue Jays live?
01:07 What does a Blue Jay look like?
02:03 Do male and female Blue Jays look the same?
02:41 Are Blue Jays related to Crows?
03:12 Why are Blue Jays loud?
04:16 Can Blue Jay mimic other bird calls?
04:50 Why do Blue Jays sound like a hawk?
05:27 Are Blue Jays aggressive?
05:53 Do Blue Jays bully and scare away other birds?
06:23 Do Blue Jays migrate?
06:54 What do Blue Jays eat?
07:30 Can Blue Jays crack open nuts?
08:01 What do Blue Jays eat from bird feeders?
08:23 Do Blue Jays store food for later?
08:54 Do Blue Jays eat other bird eggs and nestlings?
09:30 Where do Blue Jays build their nests?
10:09 How many eggs does a Blue Jay lay?
10:50 Do both Blue Jay parents feed the babies and care for them?
11:18 How long do baby Blue Jays stay in the nest?
*12:03 Do Blue Jays build a new nest each year?
*12:45 Are Blue Jays smart?
*13:30 Are Blue Jays good or bad for the backyard ecosystem?
*14:05 Why do some people not like the Blue Jays?
*14:55 Can Blue Jays recognise people?
*15:28 Are Blue Jays a sign of anything in myths or symbolism?

Migration map
https://explorer.audubon.org/explore/...

Sources
Audubon Field Guide – Blue Jay
🔗 https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/b...
All About Birds – Blue Jay Overview
🔗 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/B...
Britannica – Blue Jay Description
🔗 https://www.britannica.com/animal/blu...
All About Birds – Blue Jay Identification
🔗 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/B...
Audubon – Slings and Arrows: Why Birders Love to Hate Blue Jays
🔗 https://www.audubon.org/magazine/slin...
All About Birds – Blue Jay Life History
🔗 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/B...
Audubon – Birdist Rule #28: Know When Birds Think You're Too Close to Their Nests
🔗https://www.audubon.org/magazine/bird...
All About Birds – Why Are Blue Jays Far More Noisy in Fall Than Earlier in the Summer?
🔗https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/wh...
Audubon – John James Audubon's Birds of America: Blue Jay
🔗 https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-amer...
Audubon Vermont – Nesting Birds and Forest Structure
🔗 https://vt.audubon.org/news/nesting-b...
Audubon – Blue Jay Migration Explorer
🔗 https://explorer.audubon.org/explore/...
All About Birds – Hidden Migrations of Common Species
🔗 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/hi...
Audubon – Blue Jay Conservation Challenges
🔗 https://explorer.audubon.org/explore/...
Britannica – Migration: Bird Species, Patterns, & Adaptations
🔗 https://www.britannica.com/science/mi...
Animal Behavior Corner – Blue Jay Behavior
🔗 https://animalbehaviorcorner.com/blue...
JCS Wildlife – Blue Jay Diet and More
🔗 https://jcswildlife.com/blogs/blue-ja...
Enviroliteracy – How Intelligent Are Blue Jays?
🔗 https://enviroliteracy.org/how-intell...
Enviroliteracy – What Is the Behavior of a Blue Jay?
🔗 https://enviroliteracy.org/what-is-th...
Birdful – How Does a Blue Jay Communicate?
🔗 https://www.birdful.org/how-does-a-bl...
Birdful – Why Are Blue Jays So Vocal?
🔗 https://www.birdful.org/why-are-blue-...
Wild Bird Watching – Blue Jay Nesting Info
🔗 https://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Bl...
Birding Sky – What Do Blue Jays Eat?
🔗 https://birdingsky.com/what-do-blue-j...
Feathered Realm – Do Blue Jays Migrate?
🔗 https://featheredrealm.com/do-blue-ja...

Photos and videos from other websites:
The individuals' names can be found on their respective photo/video
(licenses below)

Canva.com
https://www.canva.com/policies/free-m...

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20 Comments

@LesleytheBirdNerd Creator 1 year ago (edited) Pinned

Thanks for watching! Here's a playlist with more Blue Jay information https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVcv-R1Q3gqoVUhgIMaLckcTR2TdSBcc2&si=Uyx1wcGQKVBe15B3
Official Lesley the Bird Nerd store https://www.lesleythebirdnerd.com

@ronabrunner8629 1 year ago

The Blue Jay's in our neighborhood recognize my husband as a food provider, and wait for him every morning to fill the feeders. It's funny they will get down right impatient if he shows up late.

@Dog_One 1 year ago (edited)

They eat my dog kibbles and they mimic the call of the red shouldered hawk to scare away the squirrels off my bird feeder. They fool my Merlin app

@davehendricks4824 1 year ago

What timing! I was weeding in the garden when I thought I heard a hawk. I had seed scattered in the driveway and a chipmunk and a few birds were feeding. They all left the seed. Then the blue jay came down and helped himself! Talk about smart!

@bumblebee9337 1 year ago

I still remember a passage by Henry Thoreau that I read as a child: "The unrelenting steel-cold scream of a jay, unmelted, that never flows into a song, a sort of wintry trumpet, screaming cold; hard, tense, frozen music, like the winter sky itself."

@tarabishop8499 1 year ago

I feed my jays peanuts in the shell. I love to watch them fly in and get on then fly off. It’s like a major airport during feeding time. If my feeder is empty they will screech at me to let me know. They will watch me fill the feeder and they will quiet down. I talk to them, it’s my favorite time.❤❤❤

@elizabethlansinganderson6226 1 year ago

I started feeding birds about 8 years ago. I was intrigued by the blue jays. I used to think they were "bullies". I watched one of your older videos on them and learned a ton. They are now one of my very favorite back yard visitors. I experience similar things to what others have said here, they recognize me, if I'm late with the peanuts, they complain (and loudly!). They can tell the difference between me and other people who visit me in the back yard, only yelling if they see me. I have seen a large flock of them chase off a hawk (multiple times). I just love them and a lot of that is because of what I learned from you! Thank you for another great, entertaining video! Your jays are just stunning and you capture them so beautifully.

@aaronalquiza9680 1 year ago

we're at a point where we just throw peanuts up towards the sky and our blue jay friends swoop in to snatch the peanuts. lol
but more importantly, our blue jay friends warn every other animal when there's a predator or a cat nearby.

@444gothicgirl 1 year ago

Once watched a blue jay cache a peanut under some snow. He looked so proud of himself. Here's hoping he got it before the snow melted.

@CloudStrife78 1 year ago

The blue jays by me are shockingly polite. They will take a peanut or sunflower and fly to another part of the tree to enjoy it. When they are done they wait for the other birds at the feeder before swooping down, almost like they are nervous. If no other birds are around they will try to get super sneaky though. It's fun watching them look for the perfect leaves to put over their buried food.

@vivianmatienzo4498 1 year ago

Having Blue Jays pick peanuts of my lap....tells me...that they are recognizing me....plus also loving their boldness & resolve...loving the Blue Jays....! 💙💙💙

@savethepangolin 1 year ago

Blue jays are my absolute favorite bird and I always get so excited when they visit my yard, or if I hear them. Everyone says they're mean, yet mine don't bother anybody.

@gregcorbolotti 1 year ago

Glad to see you posting again. 😊 The local bluejays have trained me to provide a three-course breakfast every morning.

@PeterFraser-hp3rs 1 year ago

1:45 Right, so that's how Lesley knows who's who by name -- they all looked the same to me until I saw this head shot compilation.

@LadyYoop 1 year ago

They are such a stunning bird....I used to buy bags of peanuts and throw them on the ground....within a minute...the ground was blue. I loved it!

@jcortese3300 1 year ago

I had no idea they were corvids. It makes sense given their size and the beak shape, but wow, what flashy corvids!

@rowanrobbins 1 year ago

I'm in upstate NY and we have a bluejay pair that has been coming to us for peanuts and water for several years. They bring their fledglings, too. They'll sit in the tree by the house next door, by the street and wait for us to toss peanuts down off the porch. They'll even get them from the porch if we sit still. They really liven up the days. Thanks for this info.☺💙

@BirbLuv2 1 year ago

Thank you, Lesley! Your bird photography is phenomenal. I’ve known for years that you are intimately familiar with your local blue jays, but this video shows how they trust you to photograph them in practically every situation. Your knowledge from personal observation obviously took years of careful study to acquire. I love the jays in my yard, particularly how they will swoop down and grab a peanut or almond before the squirrels are even aware that i have put out the nuts. I suppose the crowing-type calls they make, really close to me, are telling their mates or other jays exactly where i am with the nuts! They are beautiful, fascinating, and so very welcome!

@christhedoll 1 year ago

I adore my neighborhood jays, they tend to scream at me if I'm not out in the AM to leave out peanuts.

@grimacenajee 1 year ago (edited)

Each time I hear a strange bird call in my yard that I don't recognize I just automatically assume it's the blue jays now! They have amazing vocalizations!