Birder’s Notebook; Blue Jay

Birder’s Notebook by Bob Andrini; 29 November Entry. One of the most common birds in our area is the Blue Jay. Many people don’t really like the Blue Jay’s because when they come to a bird feeder, all the other birds fly away. The scientific name of the Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata, comes from the Greek meaning dark blue (cyano = dark blue) and ‘chattering bird: the species name is from Latin, cristata = a crest

The Blue Jay announces its presence with its typical jay-jay-jay call (he says his name). Blue Jays have many different calls – some calls warn other birds about predators (either aerial or on the land) in the neighborhood. Blue Jays will grab seeds or peanuts from a feeder and will either eat it or fly away and cache it for later. If there is an owl in the vicinity, the jays will ‘mob’ the owl until it flies away.