Interesting Blue Jay Facts

1. Blue jays are known to mimic the sound of hawks notably the red-shouldered hawk. These calls are said to inform other jays that a hawk is present. In some cases, it is used to frighten and deceive other birds into believing that a hawk is around. This hawk sound is usually heard when the blue jays are in search of food and want to get the food of other birds near them.

2. The blue jay has been chosen as mascots of various sports groups. An example is Canada¡¦s professional baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

3. Blue jays are very territorial. They would often chase cats, dogs and even humans who go near their nests and feeding areas.

4. The aggressive behavior of blue jays turns off many backyard birders. Being large and noisy, they also eat a lot and are very domineering. They can even steal the food of other birds.

5. The young blue jays are the ones who usually migrate although there are adults who migrate as well. Some jays may go southbound in a year, go to the north during the winter and migrate again to the south in the following year.

6. Though blue jays are believed to eat the eggs and nestlings of other small birds, a study of their feeding habits has found that only one percent of them showed proof of eggs or birds in their stomachs. What the researchers found was a diet composed mostly of insects and nuts.