Blue Jay: Contradictions

Widespread over eastern North America, the blue jay is a familiar bird of parks and backyards. Unlike other perching birds, the blue jay is both aggressive and curious. An intelligent bird, he collects brightly colored objects and carry them around. The blue jay will examine the object, play with it, and then when he is bored, discards it. His antics amuse all those who watch him. The other side of the blue jay is his aggressiveness. He will mob all predators that come to threaten any of his group – cats, owls, and hawks. Many people can also attest to being dive bombed by a blue jay during nesting season.

What draws people’s attention to the blue jay is his bright color and raucous call. Bright blue on top with a blue crested head, he is white underneath. In winter, he stands out in his bright blueness. As an expert imitator, the blue jay possesses a wide variety of calls, including sounding like a hawk. However, what everyone usually hears is “jay-jay-jay” rasping through the bushes.

What is surprising about noisy blue jay is his secrecy about his family. Mother Blue Jay will pick a nesting site in thick bushes. To prevent someone from finding the nest, both Mother and Father Blue Jay will take circuitous routes to their nest. Moreover, around the nest, they whisper quietly to each other.

Blue jay is full of contradictions. Just when you think you know him, the blue jay surprises you with another mystery. He is quiet and raucous, aggressive but sensitive. Learn how to live with contradictions from the blue jay.
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