Blue Jay (Geai bleu) - Cyanocitta cristata

      One may see a Blue Jay a hundred times a day and still not take its beauty for granted. It is at once familiar and stunning.

     Clad in various shades of blue, with accents of black and white, including a bold necklace, all topped by a jaunty crest, it is indeed a handsome bird.

     It displays no reluctance to visit backyard bird feeders, and shows a particular liking for peanuts.

     With patience it can be coaxed into taking peanuts in the shell from an outstretched hand, so irresistible does it find them.

     It is a testament to the intelligence of this bird that it recognizes peanuts as a food source, and a highly desireable one at that. Peanuts are not grown here and even if they were they occur underground. Blue Jays in Ontario have never encountered peanuts in the wild. Furthermore, they appear to have a preference for peanuts in the shell where the edible part is hidden. At one time we had two long feeders, one containing peanuts in the shell, the other with shelled peanuts, and the intact nuts were always favoured.

     Outside the breeding season it is a gregarious species and small flocks are often encountered.

     In Southern Ontario we have a resident population, but also a migratory component. The migratory form from the north migrates in a pattern known as leapfrog migration where they overfly this area to settle farther south for the winter. On given days, when the conditions are right, one can witness thousands of birds migrating together, streaming through almost with end. It is a true spectacle of nature and one that I look forward to every year.

     Like most birds that overwinter with us, Blue Jays stash food as insurance against hard times. They are well adapted to tolerate cold weather and snow, and one could easily conclude that they enjoy it, anthropomorphic though that might be.

     Blue Jays are aggressive and their survival strategies are sometimes interpreted by those who dote on little songbirds as bullying, or other dishonourable behaviour.

     They are in fact displaying traits humans generally admire in other humans, the ability to provide a good living for one's family, and dedication to one's children, and a commitment to ensuring they are well fed.

     Blue Jays are exemplary parents and both adults are active in provisioning their young, usually four or five in number. The young are self-sufficient about three weeks after leaving the nest, but are guided and protected by their parents for up to two months.

     It is a bird that never fails to bring me great joy and no doubt always will.

     For anyone interested in a further exploration of Blue Jay/human interaction, I recommend Julie Zickefoose's book, Saving Jemima - Life and Love with a Hard-luck Jay.

     

     You may never think of Blue Jays the same way again.