Cyanocitta cristata
The blue jay was a familiar backyard bird in my home state of Pennsylvania. The blue jay is expanding its range, however, and Utah sightings have increased in recent years.
Jim and Cindy Summerhill have three jay species visiting their Willard feeder: Western scrub, Steller's and a blue.
The blue jay's summer range extends southward from Canada through the eastern U.S. onto the Gulf Coast and central Texas.
The expansion is a westward movement out of Canada into parts of the Intermountain West on to Washington. The winter migration of blue jays is still quite mysterious.
They can be observed throughout their range in winter, although many young birds and some adults migrate. Migration patterns can vary, with birds going south one winter, staying put the next, and south again the following winter. The triggers for these migratory movements are not yet understood.
Blue jay habitat is wooded, deciduous, coniferous mixed forests and edges of these habitats. They have adapted to urban/ suburban backyards and parks from the forest.
Blue jays are vocal birds that warn others when a predator, such as a cat, hawk or owl, is present.
They are omnivorous but a large portion of their daily intake is acorns, seeds from pine cones, corn, fruit and berries. They are opportunistic and will take eggs or nestlings.
Carrion, insects, mice, meadow voles and other small mammals, small snakes, frogs and small amphibians are included in a varied diet. Blue jays harvest and cache thousands of acorns and other nuts.
Large songbirds, at 10 to 12 inches, blue jays are very bright, flashy and vocal birds with a large variety of calls. Their most frequent call is a harsh "jeer." They have a crest that can be raised or lowered.
The face and throat bib is a grayish white with the neck adorned by a black necklace. The blue wings show a white wing bar. It has gray-white underparts and a blue back. Both sexes are similar in plumage characteristics.
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* BILL FENIMORE is owner of the Layton Wild Bird Center. The Wild Bird Center is holding a free trip Saturday on the roof of the LDS Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Call 801-525-8400 or visit www.wildbird.com/layton for information regarding free bird/nature walks.
