Our Bird of the Month for October is the Blue Jay! Sometimes a controversial bird around feeders, Blue Jays are incredibly adept at imitating the calls of hawks. While some criticize Blue Jays for using this call to scare off other birds so they have the feeders all to themselves, other birds can rely on Blue Jay calls as a warning system if they notice any predators in the area. While they can be very territorial, and even rude, they can still be beneficial to other songbirds.

Interestingly, like bluebirds, Blue Jays do not have any blue pigmentation in their feathers. Rather, they only reflect blue colors while absorbing all others.

What do they eat?

Blue Jays are omnivores that eat insects, nuts, grains, and berries. As we approach the colder months, Blue Jays will begin caching nuts and seeds upwards of two miles away from the source! If you really want to attract them to your yard, peanuts, especially in the shell, will go a long way!

Staff Thoughts

Ginger: “Beautiful, loud, and certainly not subtle, I’m amused by the need for Blue Jays to announce themselves shortly before arriving at my feeder. It’s fun to watch them carefully select just the right peanut in the shell before taking off with it.”

Angela: “I find myself observing the Blue Jay the most - do I dare say it’s my favorite bird? I can’t pick one! But they are fascinating! They’re loud, yes, but they have such a fun personality. I love watching them swooping in for peanuts in the shell and when they stay at my tray feeders to crack open striped sunflower. I’ve even seen them intentionally drop down peanuts to squirrels on the ground - a little frustrating, but cute!”

Julie: “Blue jays are the unapologetic extroverts at my feeders! Squawking loudly and pitching seeds while looking for peanuts.”

Nick: “Seeing pictures of them for the longest time, I expected them to be smaller in person, but when I started attracting them to my yard, I was surprised at how big they can grow! I’m sure the other birds aren’t big of a fan of that, though.”