Steller’s jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the
blue jay
found in eastern North America. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pine jay.
What is the difference between a blue jay and a stellar jay?
Steller’s and blue jays are the only North American jays with crests. Both are about 11-12 inches in size, with Steller’s being slightly larger. With its
black hood
and dark blue feathers, Steller’s is easy to distinguish from the blue jay, which has a light grayish chest and white spotting on the wings and tail.
Is a Steller’s jay A blue jay?
The Steller’s Jay is a jay. and it’s blue But it’s not a true Blue Jay with a capital “B.” The bona fide Blue Jay is primarily a bird of the East. Both are smaller cousins to the
american crow
and the Common Raven.
What does it mean when you see a blue jay?
These birds are a symbol of confidence, clarity, vibrancy, and intellect. If you see a blue jay, the most common interpretation of its visit means you are a loyal and trustworthy person You may notice them more often in times of self-doubt. The blue jay’s sense of creativity is also one of the more common beliefs.
What’s the difference between a blue jay and a bluebird?
Bluejays are much larger than bluebirds , commonly growing to 10-12 inches. Bluejays have large, strong beaks – which they use to feed on nuts, seeds and acorns. Bluejays are much louder and more aggressive than most birds. Bluejays don’t migrate and are commonly found in the eastern region of North America.
Is a blue jay bigger than a cardinal?
Cardinals and blue jays have similar body sizes, although blue jays are longer and heavier than cardinals in most cases The average blue jay is 9-12 inches long and has a 13–17-inch wingspan. The average cardinal is 8 ¼ -9 ¼ inches long and its average wingspan is 10-13 inches.
How big is an adult blue jay?
Adult blue jays measure 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) with a wingspan of 13-17 inches (34-43 cm) The average adult blue jay weighs 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g).
Can a cardinal and a blue jay mate?
But whatever color a blue jay/cardinal mix might be, Marilyn’s answer was that the birds “belong to different species, so they won’t crossbreed” She is right about blue jays and cardinals–no crossbred specimens are known.
What does a stellar jay look like?
Steller’s Jays are large songbirds with large heads, chunky bodies, rounded wings, and a long, full tail The bill is long, straight, and powerful, with a slight hook. Steller’s Jays have a prominent triangular crest that often stands nearly straight up from their head.
What does a jaybird look like?
What do jays look like? The jay has pale pink plumage, a black tail and white rump. Its head has a pale crown with black streaks, and black facial markings and bill. Its wings are black and white with a panel of distinctive electric-blue feathers.
Is there a woodpecker that looks like a blue jay?
The answer is that there are in fact no blue woodpeckers in the US , and to the best of my knowledge also not in the rest of the world. However, common backyard birds such as the Blue Jay may resemble woodpeckers to an extent that may lead to the confusion that blue woodpeckers exist.
Are Steller’s jays aggressive?
Steller’s Jays are very aggressive and audacious birds. The juveniles show a fearless attitude towards life. They are the alarm bird and when they sound the alarm, all the other birds take cover.
Where can a Steller’s jay be found?
Steller’s Jay is most numerous in dense coniferous woods of the mountains and the northwest coast , where its dark colors blend in well in the shadows.
What bird looks like a blue jay but has a long tail?
The black-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta colliei) is a strikingly long-tailed magpie-jay of northwestern Mexico.
What attracts blue jays to your yard?
- Offer their favorite foods.
-
Use a
blue-jay-friendly feeder
. - Have water available.
- Plant fruit-bearing shrubs.
- Plant nut-bearing trees.
- Go organic.
- Keep kitty inside.
Do blue jays recognize humans?
Ravens and other members of the corvid family (crows, jays, and magpies) are known to be intelligent. They can remember individual human faces , expertly navigate human environments (like trash cans), and they even hold funerals for their dead.
Are blue jay birds rare?
Blue Jays are common , but their populations have declined by an estimated 0.6% per year for a cumulative decline of about 27% between 1966 and 2019 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 17 million.
Do blue jays eat squirrels?
They’ll steal feed from squirrels, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, but it is a rather uncommon occurrence Blue jays are opportunistic. A majority of their diet consists of acorns, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruits.
What Kind of Blue Bird looks like a cardinal?
The Blue Grosbeak This bird, which shares a family, Cardinalidae, with the cardinal, is often misinterpreted as a blue cardinal. In reality, they are a different bird entirely. However, they are quite blue.
What does a female blue jay bird look like?
The female’s head, crest, and back are a deep blue-gray, while the plumage on the wings and tail are bright blue, with black bars and white spots. The underside (chest, abdomen, and underneath the tail) is ashy-white. Her legs and feet are black and her eyes are dark brown.
Do Steller Jays mimic other birds?
An excellent mimic with a large repertoire, the Steller’s Jay can imitate birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, chickens, and some mechanical objects The oldest recorded Steller’s Jay was a male, and at least 16 years 1 month old when he was found in Alaska in 1987.
What is the difference between a scrub jay and a stellar jay?
The Steller’s Jay is found along the north coast of California into Alaska, and far inland, in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. The California Scrub-Jay is found along the Pacific coast from Canada to Baja. The latter jay is known for its association with the oak trees and dry scrub.
How do I get rid of Steller Jays?
The best bet for how to get rid of blue jays is to give them space and a feeder of their own Serve peanuts in a feeder or put sunflower seeds in a large hopper feeder in an isolated area.
Are blue jay birds good luck?
Native American lore says that seeing a blue jay nearby ensures good luck for whoever crosses its path Blue Jay’s symbolism can vary somewhat. To some, they are thought to represent a symbol of fortune and luck. They are also thought to be good omens that symbolize happiness and peace.
What does it mean when you see a cardinal and blue jay together?
Conclusion. The spiritual meaning of seeing a blue jay and cardinal together is optimistic , and you can expect good luck and prosperity when you are there for their golden encounter. While sighting cardinal and blue jay together is generally positive, it can also bring a warning sign.
Is a blue jay and a mockingbird the same bird?
As for the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), ornithologists and geneticists have documented this to be a biologically distinct species, quite different physically, behaviorally and genetically from its closest relatives, which are not Blue Jays (as Ms.
Are blue jays bigger than blue birds?
Blue Jays. Much larger than Eastern bluebirds , blue jays measure 11 to 12 inches. Like the bluebirds, they have blue backs, but also look for a gray breast, robust bill, and a crest, or pointy tuft of head feathers. Males and females are nearly identical.
What is a bright blue bird?
A breeding male Indigo Bunting is blue all over, with slightly richer blue on his head and a shiny, silver-gray bill. Females are basically brown, with faint streaking on the breast, a whitish throat, and sometimes a touch of blue on the wings, tail, or rump.
Is a blue jay a crow?
Blue Jays are one of the smartest birds you’ll see visiting your feeder. They are members of the bird family corvid, which includes other jay species such as Steller’s Jays, along with ravens and crows Scientific research has uncovered fascinating details about the human-like intelligence traits corvids possess.
Do blue jays eat hummingbirds?
Blue Jays, Crows, Roadrunners, Chipmunks, and Squirrels are notorious for eating hummingbird eggs and baby hummingbirds as a nice little treat Hawks have been known to catch a hummingbird for a quick snack.
Do blue jays keep other birds away?
Yes, blue jays scare away cardinals In fact, they may take it to themselves to bully any bird that’s smaller than them. Although the behavior is odd to birds due to their peaceful nature, they do it out of territorial tribalism.
Do blue jays eat mice?
The Blue Jays will eat plenty! Their natural winter diet consist mostly of vegetable matter, acorns, beechnuts, seeds and berries. Summer food consist of larger insects, grasshoppers, caterpillars, mice, bird eggs, and baby birds.
Do blue jays eat other birds?
Blue Jays are known to take and eat eggs and nestlings of other birds , but we don’t know how common this is. In an extensive study of Blue Jay feeding habits, only 1% of jays had evidence of eggs or birds in their stomachs. Most of their diet was composed of insects and nuts.
Do male and female blue jays look different?
Male blue jays tend to be larger in size than females , but since males and females share the same plumage, it is difficult to tell them apart by size alone. Careful observation of courtship and nesting behavior is the best way to tell the sexes apart.
Do blue jays scare cardinals away?
Do Blue Jays scare away Cardinals? Yes Blue Jays are commonly known as bullies toward many bird species, including cardinals. Blue Jays are bigger and louder than just about any other bird (aside from crows) and are the common cause for many birds to escape their presence – especially at the feeder.
Do blue jays and robins get along?
Robin (Turdus migratorius) and the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) are generally regarded as mutually antagonistic in the breeding season.
Do blue jays bully other birds?
Being the bullies that they are, blue jays attack the other birds impartially They can attack any smaller bird they find at your feeder, although hummingbirds, cardinals, finches, robins, and chickadees are their most obvious victims.
Are Stellar jays as smart as crows?
Native to western North America, Steller’s Jays members of the Corvid family—the same group that includes crows, ravens and magpies—and are considered some of the most intelligent birds in the world.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller%27s_jay