Blue above and white below, with a prominent crest and a bold black necklace. The wings and tail are barred with black, and it has a bold white wingbar.
Blue Jays often come to feeders where they eat many types of seeds, especially sunflower. They hold seeds between their feet and hammer them open. Note the mostly blue tail with white tips, which can be distinctive in flight.
Large white tail corners are prominent in flight, along with a black necklace and white underparts.
Jays are noisy birds; this one is visibly agitated and calling frequently along with chickadees, cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other birds. It's likely they've discovered an owl or hawk and are mobbing it to try to make it leave.
When viewed head on the black necklace and feathering around the base of the bill are especially prominent.
Nests are made mostly of twigs and well hidden in trees. Both sexes build the nest; the female usually spends more time arranging twigs and lining the nest with rootlets, grass, and sometimes mud.
Often visits feeders, sometimes in flocks.
Click on an image to compare
Large crested songbird with broad, rounded tail. Blue Jays are smaller than crows, larger than robins.
About the same size as a Western Scrub-Jay
robin-sizedNeed Bird ID Help? Try Merlin
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.
