Blue jays serve as sentries for many smaller birds that we enjoy
We always enjoy the many hungry birds that come in to the feeder in winter. Constant movement of small birds in and out of the platform feeders and suet stations offer intriguing scenes. It is alarming when all of the feeder birds suddenly disappear.
Then, a bluejay calls sharply, and is joined by other jays in a serious alarm signal.
These loud alarm calls from the jays grab our attention. Chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, mourning doves, and tufted titmice are nowhere to be seen. There is an ominous presence about. We look for a hawk hiding in thick cover. We know that it is probably a coopers hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk which are predators of smaller birds, sneaking in at stealth mode that has upset the jays. If we look carefully enough we may see one of these hawks stationed not far away, his slim outline blending with the narrow trunks of tag alder. He will have difficulty now, finding an unwary bird to take for his lunch. The jays have given their warning, and for now, the smaller birds are safe.
This is the job of the blue jays; they are sentries, alarm systems for the many smaller birds that we enjoy. These bold, bright birds put themselves at risk when they make themselves known so loudly. I once observed one blue jay descending to the ground in a deadly drop from the sky with a grey bird no bigger than the jay clinging to its back. Curious, I stepped over to see what it was, and a sharp-shinned hawk flew off, releasing the jay to live another day.
Blue jays are sometimes considered the bully of the feeding station. But the smaller birds certainly depend on them to signal a warning of hawks that are a bigger threat. And some birds do not consider them to be a problem. On one occasion, the entire feeding platform was covered with over twelve blue jays. Suddenly, a buff colored bird of about the same size dropped down from above and landed in the very middle of the jays. No fear of blue jays from that bird. It was a mourning dove, symbol of peace, but bold in behavior. The blue jays scattered – perhaps they mistakenly expected the intruder to be a small hawk.
Recently, Jays were calling loudly from the south along an east-west trail. If we listen to these wild voices, we can often discover what is happening in their world, making our world all that much more interesting. Jays and crows call when an intruder has entered their territory. They will mob an owl that is discovered to be outside of its normal territory, or in the open during the day. A juvenile hawk or injured raptor that is unwilling to fly will draw attention from jays. Their calls will bring in other jays, and they will chase an unwanted visitor out of the area.
On this particular day, I could not see what was making the jays upset. Perhaps there was a barred owl that was so well camouflaged with the grey tree trunks that I could not find it, but had caught the attention of the blue jays. When I reached my husband Joe, he said that he had been working in the animal barn and that a grey owl, too quick a flimpse for certain identification, had flown out of the barn right in the middle of the day. A nocturnal owl flying in the daytime is surely something the jays will be concerned about. It is likely that we have a screech owl living in the barn that was disturbed from its roost.
Blue jays were one of the birds that were named as a favorite bird of Nature Day Campers at Chippewa Nature Center when we were presenting our live bird program last summer. They do have the most beautiful blends of blue and striking contrasting feather colors. Like crows, which are in the same family as jays, they are super intelligent, and have been known to use strips of paper to pull in food to their cage when kept in a captive situation. And because many of them live in Michigan year-round, they are one that we can easily observe and begin to understand and appreciate.
We find that people of all ages like what they know and understand the best, and blue jays are one that you can know at your feeder and as a guard for the entire spectrum of birds at the winter feeder. They are intelligent and clever birds, and are able to immitate the calls of both the red-shouldered hawk and the red-tailed hawk, althought this is a much weaker call than that of the hawk. Some resources indicate that they will also mimic calls of catbirds, chickadees, goldfinch, and other small songbirds.
Blue jays are common throughout Michigan, even nesting on Isle Royale. They are a forest dwelling bird throughout eastern United States and forested parts of Canada.
Blue jays build a stick nest that is lined with softer grasses and roots between two or three branches, and often placed only ten to fifteen feet high. They frequently build an incomplete nest during courtship, which may begin as early as winter. This first nest is not used to raise a family, but later a more permanent nest is constructed and the family will raise four or five youngsters. During the nesting season, blue jays become quiet and secretive so that they do not attract predators to the nest.
These well known infamous birds are truly beneficial. They not only warn smaller birds of the predatory birds near the feeder, they consume some of the insects that we consider pests. At the feeder, they may eat sunflower seeds, corn, peanuts, and suet, and wild foods such as acorn and berries. But they also feed on insects during spring and summer, including the hairy types of caterpillar such as gypsy moth (spongy moth) larvae. Blue jays certainly should be welcomed into our feeding stations, our yards, and our sanctuaries.
Wildlife Recovery Association is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to education, rehabilitation and research to benefit wildlife, and to management of a sanctuary to protect rare and sensitive species. To donate to help these animals, visit wildliferecovery.org or write to Wildlife Recovery Association, 531 S. Coleman Road, Shepherd, MI 48883.
