Blue Jay

Blue jay on snowy branch
Blue jay. Photo by Cathy Cardone.

Appearance: Large bird 12″ long, medium blue & white body, blue crest (which he flattens at will), gray belly, and white face. White & blue wings with black spots. Females look the same.

Diet: Insects, fruit, seeds, nuts, other birds’ eggs, and nestlings.

Feeder food: Whole peanuts, sunflower seeds, and cracked corn.

Habitat: Forested areas with mixed tree types. Also common in suburbs and urban areas.

Nesting:

  • Nest: bulky large nest made from twigs, bark, and mud resting on a tree branch about 5-50′ up.
  • Broods: 1-2 broods/season,
  • Clutch: 2-7 eggs/brood,
  • Egg color: Pale blue to a light brown base color, and these eggs usually have brown or gray spots.
  • Egg size: 1 inch by just under 1 inch
  • Incubation: Both parents incubate the eggs for 17-18 days and the young fledge between 17-21 days.

Migration: In general, blue jays are not migrators. They remain in their year-round range for all 4 seasons – even during the breeding season. While they may move within their year-round range, they do not regularly head north for breeding and south for winter as some species do. That said, in rare cases, some will head west of their year-round range for the winter.

Range Map

Blue jay range map
Blue jay range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.