Blue Jay

Here's a Blue Jay foraging along a roadway last autumn. It's a bird I've talked about before, though I'm sure entire books have been written about these colorful, loud, and clever birds. 

While the size differences of the birdfeeder birds may not seem important to us, they frequently make a big difference to the birds themselves. Cardinals are around twice the size of many of our sparrows, and the Blue Jay is nearly twice the size of a cardinal. This is why Blue Jays are among the most dominant/prominent birds at a birdfeeder, at least among the frequent visitors. (Occasional visits by someone like a Pileated Woodpecker or crow - let alone a Wild Turkey - would upset the hierarchy.)

At least until the Gray Catbirds return, the Blue Jays probably reign supreme around here in the loud squawking department. Even when you can't see these attractive birds, you can still hear them.

October 11, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 168359172, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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