Blue jay

Page semi-protected
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For other uses, see Blue jay (disambiguation).
"Jay bird" redirects here. For other uses, see Jay bird (disambiguation).

Blue jay
Temporal range: Piacenzian - present
In
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
, New York

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
Species:
C. cristata
Binomial name
Cyanocitta cristata
Subspecies

4 sspp., see text

Approximate distribution map
  Year-round
  Nonbreeding
Synonyms

Corvus cristatus Linnaeus, 1758

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a

coniferous
forests, and is common in residential areas. Its coloration is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest; it has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, and plumage does not vary throughout the year. Four subspecies have been recognized.

The blue jay feeds mainly on seeds and nuts, such as

arthropods; and occasionally small vertebrates. It typically gleans food from trees, shrubs, and the ground, and sometimes hawks insects from the air. Blue jays can be very aggressive to other birds; they sometimes raid nests and have even been found to have decapitated other birds.[3]

It builds an open cup nest in the branches of a tree; both sexes participate. The clutch may be two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with darker brown spots. Young are

altricial
, and are brooded by the female for 8–12 days after hatching. They may stay with their parents for one to two months.

The name jay derives from the bird's noisy, garrulous nature and has been applied to other birds of the same family, which are also mostly gregarious.[4] Jays are also called jaybirds.[5]

Taxonomy

The blue jay was first described as Pica glandaria cærulea cristata in

Latin referring to the prominent blue crest of the jay.[10]

Description

John James Audubon drawing circa 1830s

The blue jay measures 22–30 cm (9–12 in) from bill to tail and weighs 70–100 g (2.5–3.5 oz), with a wingspan of 34–43 cm (13–17 in).[11][12] Consistent with Bergmann's rule, jays from Connecticut averaged 92.4 g (3.26 oz) in mass, while jays from warmer southern Florida averaged 73.7 g (2.60 oz).[13][14] There is a pronounced crest on the head, a crown of feathers, which may be raised or lowered according to the bird's mood. When excited or aggressive, the crest will be fully raised. When frightened, the crest bristles outwards, brushlike. When the bird is feeding among other jays or resting, the crest is flattened on the head.[15]

Its plumage is lavender-blue to mid-blue in the crest, back, wings, and tail, and its face is white. The underside is off-white and the neck is collared with black which extends to the sides of the head. The

wing primaries and tail are strongly barred with black, sky-blue, and white. The bill, legs, and eyes are all black. Males and females are almost identical, but the male is slightly larger.[12][16] The black plumage on its nape, face, and throat varies extensively between individuals; it is believed to assist in recognition between individuals.[12]

As with most other blue-hued birds, the blue jay's coloration is not derived from

interference due to the internal structure of the feathers;[17] if a blue feather is crushed, the blue disappears because the structure is destroyed. The actual pigment in its feathers is melanin.[11] This is referred to as structural coloration
.

Distribution and habitat

The blue jay occurs from southern Canada (including the southern areas of provinces from Alberta eastward to Quebec and throughout the Atlantic provinces) and throughout the eastern and central United States south to

Pacific Coast.[11] As the two species' ranges now overlap, C. cristata may sometimes hybridize with Steller's jay.[18] The increase in trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated the western range expansion of the blue jay[19][20] as well as range expansions of many other species of birds.[21][22][23] From 1966 to 2015, the Blue Jay experienced a population decline along the Atlantic coast, but a greater than 1.5% annual population increase throughout the northern part of its range, including Labrador, Nova Scotia, southern Quebec, and southern Manitoba.[24]

The northernmost subspecies C. c. bromia is migratory, subject to necessity. It may withdraw several hundred kilometers south in the northernmost parts of its range. Thousands of blue jays have been observed to migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes and Atlantic coasts. It migrates during the daytime, in loose flocks of 5 to 250 birds. Much about their migratory behavior remains a mystery. Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. To date, no one has concretely worked out why they migrate when they do. Likely, it is related to weather conditions and how abundant the winter food sources are, which can determine whether other northern birds will move south.[25]

The blue jay occupies a variety of habitats within its large range, from the pine woods of Florida to the spruce-fir forests of northern Ontario. It is less abundant in denser forests, preferring mixed woodlands with oaks and beeches.[15] It has expertly adapted to human activity, occurring in parks and residential areas, and can adapt to wholesale deforestation with relative ease if human activity creates other means for the jays to get by.[26]

Subspecies

Four

clinal. No firm boundaries can be drawn between the inland subspecies. The ranges of the coastal races are better delimited.[16]

Image Subspecies Common Name Description Distribution
Cyanocitta cristata bromia Oberholser, HC 1921 Northern blue jay The largest subspecies, with fairly dull plumage. Blue is rather pale. Canada and northern United States.
Cyanocitta cristata cristata Coastal blue jay The nominate subspecies, mid-sized and vivid blue. Coastal USA from North Carolina to Texas, except southern Florida
Cyanocitta cristata cyanotephra Sutton, GM 1935 Interior blue jay Mid-sized, quite dark blue on mantle contrasting cleanly with very white underside. Inland USA from SE Wyoming and Nebraska to west Kansas, Oklahoma and northern Texas, intergrading with C. c. bromia to the north.
Cyanocitta cristata semplei Todd, 1928 Florida blue jay The smallest subspecies, much like C. c. bromia in color. Southern Florida.

Behavior

Merlin chasing a blue jay

The blue jay is a noisy, bold, and aggressive passerine. It is a moderately slow flier (roughly 32–40 km/h or 20–25 mph) when unprovoked.[27] It flies with body and tail held level, with slow wing beats. Its slow flying speeds make this species easy prey for hawks and owls when it flies in open areas. Virtually all the raptorial birds sympatric in distribution with the blue jay may prey upon it, especially swift bird-hunting specialists such as the Accipiter hawks. Diverse predators may prey on jay eggs and young up to their fledgling stage, including tree squirrels, snakes, cats, crows, raccoons, opossums, other jays and possibly many of the same birds of prey who attack adults.[28]

The blue jay can be beneficial to other bird species, as it may chase

mobs it until it takes a new roost.[29] However, blue jays have also been known to attack or kill other smaller birds, and foliage-roosting bat species such as Eastern red bats.[30] Jays are very territorial birds, and they will chase others from a feeder for an easier meal. Additionally, the blue jay may raid other birds' nests, stealing eggs, chicks, and nests. However, this may not be as common as is typically thought, as only 1% of food matter in one study was bird material.[25]
Despite this, other passerines may still mob jays who come within their breeding territories.

When a blue jay is agitated or angry, the blue crest atop its head will rise. It will lower when the bird is relaxed or calm.[31]

Blue jay in flight

Blue jays, like other corvids, are highly curious and are considered intelligent birds. Young individuals playfully snatch brightly coloured or reflective objects, such as bottle caps or pieces of aluminum foil, and carry them around until they lose interest.[29] While not confirmed to have engaged in tool use in the wild, blue jays in captivity have been observed using strips of newspaper as tools to obtain food,[25][32] while captive fledglings have been observed attempting to open the doors of their cages.[33]

Diet

Blue jay cracking nuts

Blue jays are omnivorous, but the

Florida scrub-jays, common grackles and red-headed woodpeckers, all of which were occasionally observed to aggressively prevent the jays from feeding.[25]

Reproduction

Nest in the top of a little pine
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

The mating season begins in mid-March, peaks in mid-April to May, and extends into July. Any suitable tree or large bush may be used for nesting, though an evergreen is preferred. The nest is preferentially built at a height in the trees of 3 to 10 m (10 to 33 ft). It is cup-shaped and composed of twigs, small roots, bark strips, moss, other plant material, cloth, paper, and feathers, with occasional mud added to the cup.

Juvenile vocalizing in July

Blue jays are not very picky about nesting locations. If no better place is available – such as in a heavily deforested area – they will even use places like the large mailboxes typical of the rural United States.[26] They also appropriate nests of other mid-sized songbirds as long as these are placed in suitable spots; American robin nests are commonly used by blue jays, for example.

Fledgling in mid-June

Blue jays typically form

incubated over 16–18 days. The young fledge usually between 17 and 21 days after hatching.[29]

After the juveniles fledge, the family travels and forages together until early fall, when the young birds disperse to avoid competition for food during the winter. Sexual maturity is reached after one year of age. The oldest known wild, banded Blue Jay was at least 26 years, 11 months old when it was found dead after being caught in fishing gear. It had been banded in the Newfoundland/Labrador/Saint-Pierre et Miquelon area in 1989 and was found there in 2016.[37] Another wild jay was found to have been around 17+1⁄2 years old.[38] A more common lifespan for wild birds that survive to adulthood is around 7 years.[39] Beyond predation and the occasional collision with man-made objects, a common cause of mortality in recent decades has been the West Nile virus, to which corvids as a whole seem especially susceptible. However, despite several major local declines, overall blue jays have not seemed to have been depleted by the disease.[28]

Vocalizations

Blue jays can make a large variety of sounds, and individuals may vary perceptibly in their calling style. Like other corvids, they may learn to mimic human speech. Blue jays can also copy the cries of local hawks so well that it is sometimes difficult to tell which it is.

mob potential predators such as hawks
and drive them away from the jays' nests.

Blue jay "rusty pump" calls (among gray catbird calls)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Blue jays also have quiet, less noticeable calls which they use among themselves in proximity. One of the most distinctive calls of this type is often referred to as the "rusty pump" owing to its squeaky resemblance to the sound of an old hand-operated

water pump
. The blue jay (and other corvids) are distinct from most other songbirds for using their call as a song.

In human culture

In old African-American folktales of the southern United States, the blue jay was a significant metaphysical creature. In some tales, the blue jay was credited with making the earth "when all de worl' was water" by bringing the first "grit" or "dirt." In other tales the blue jay was temporarily conscripted as a servant of the devil and would not be seen on Friday as it was gathering twigs to furnish hell's kindling and give fire to wicked men on Earth; relieved from duty on Saturday, its song for the day was abundant and joyous.[41][42]

The blue jay was adopted as the team symbol of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team, as well as some of their minor league affiliates. Their mascot, Ace, is an anthropomorphic blue jay. The blue jay is also the official mascot for Johns Hopkins University, Elmhurst University, and Creighton University. It is also the provincial bird of the province of Prince Edward Island in Canada.[43]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705611A94027257.en
    . Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  2. ^ "The blue jays are coming! Hide yo kids, hide yo nuts!". Seriously, Science?.
  3. ^ Little Known Fact: Blue Jays are Vicious Carnivores. pedaldrivenprogramming.com (15 Apr 2008)
  4. OCLC 469020022
    .
  5. ^ "jaybird – definition of jaybird by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia". Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Catesby, Mark (1731). Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahamas (1st ed.). London: Royal Society House. p. 87.
  7. ^ Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata (in Latin). Vol. 1. Holmiae: Laurentius Salvius. p. 106.
  8. ^ Bonaparte, Charles L. (1838). A geographical and comparative list of the birds of Europe and North America. London: J. Van Voorst. p. 27.
  9. ^ Bulletin of the National History Survey, Issues 4-6. Chicago: Chicago Academy of Sciences. 1900. p. 120.
  10. ISBN 978-1609382254
    .
  11. ^ a b c Blue Jay, Life History, All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  12. ^ a b c "ADW: Cyanocitta cristata: INFORMATION". Animal Diversity Web.
  13. ^ Jewell, S. D. (1986). "Weights and wing lengths in Connecticut Blue Jays". Connecticut Warbler. 6 (4): 47–49.
  14. JSTOR 4512458
    .
  15. ^ a b "Blue Jay". Canadian Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  16. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7136-3999-5
    .
  17. ^ Carpenter, Anita (February 2003). "What Color is a Bluejay?". Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  18. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.27.1.83
    .
  19. JSTOR 4512360
    .
  20. ^ Tarvin KA, Woolfenden GE. (1999). "Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)", no. 469. In: A. Poole (ed.). The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.
  21. S2CID 86276981
    .
  22. S2CID 84426970
    .
  23. S2CID 85425945
    .
  24. ^ "Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata BBS Trend Map, 1966 - 2015". USGS. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Blue Jay. birds.cornell.edu
  26. ^
    Wilson Bulletin
    . 18 (2): 47–60.
  27. ^ Animal Speeds. Texas Parks & Wildlife. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
  28. ^ a b "ADW: Cyanocitta cristata: INFORMATION". Animal Diversity Web.
  29. ^ a b c "Blue Jay". Archived from the original on 2007-05-02.
  30. JSTOR 4082327
    .
  31. ^ "The Truth About Blue Jays – The Free Weekly". Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  32. S2CID 22011846
    .
  33. ^ American Rivers Archived 2013-12-18 at the Wayback Machine. tumblr.com
  34. ^ "Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata". Audubon.org. 13 November 2014.
  35. ^ "Blue jays love peanuts in the shell".
  36. ^ AllAboutBirds.org – Blue Jay The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  37. ^ "Blue Jay Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology".
  38. ^ "Longevity Records Of North American Birds". U. S. Geological Survey: Bird Banding Laboratory. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  39. ^ "Animal facts: Blue Jay". Canadian Geographic. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. July 26, 2006. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  40. ISBN 978-0-7922-3373-2
  41. ^ Ingersoll, Ernest (1923). Birds in legend, fable and folklore. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  42. ISBN 978-0-486-12296-0
    .
  43. ^ "Provincial Bird". Prince Edward Island. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Cyanocitta cristata (category)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_jay&oldid=1219972511"