Troublesome blue jays have earned negative image

It seems every fall I write a column about blue jays. Many people begin noticing everything about them this time of year, but this attention is mostly negative.

Complaints range from the jays’ noisiness to their habit of chasing smaller birds away and dominating feeding stations.

“I wish those blue jays would go away!” exclaimed a friend of mine, after the birds had lowered the level of seed in her feeders by a considerable amount.

“I wish those blue jays would leave my chickadees alone!” a co-worker snarled to me after I had wished her a good morning the other day.

Now I know how the weatherman feels!

These jays may be admired for their striking plumage patterns and coloration, but for many people this beauty is only skin-deep. They are viewed as marauding bullies that wreak havoc with our peaceful (and often one-sided) view of nature.

Before you think I am pointing a finger I, too, become annoyed at their seeming piggish and rude behavior on occasion. But I have to admit, they are resourceful birds, as are all members of the Corvid family.

Blue jays are omnivorous and will take advantage of almost any food source they come across. Although many other birds will do this, it seems this trait is most often associated with jays; they’ve become known as nest-robbers, preying on the eggs and nestlings of other bird species.

However, their primary food sources tend to be of insect and vegetable origin. They favor mast crops such as acorns, beechnuts, hazelnuts, or hickory nuts, as well as soft fruits and seeds. They will gather and cache thousands of nuts each fall, most often burying them under an inch or so of soil. Many of them are never eaten, and scientists say such forgotten treasures have been responsible for the regeneration of forests.

Now, back to the jay’s other trait: Its voice.

Blue jays call attention to themselves at this time of year because they are joining larger flocks. There is much displaying and vocalizing between the birds, in contrast to the small family groups that had been relatively quiet and secretive during the breeding season. Some of the birds are migrating, while some will stay here all winter; populations that migrate south may be replaced by birds from farther north.

It seems there is no end to the number of vocalizations a blue jay can make. Their repertoire includes squeaks, rattles, chortles, clicks, gurgles, screams, and whistles. They are also known to mimic – almost perfectly – birds of prey such as the red-shouldered, red-tailed, and broad-winged hawks. Captive jays learn to imitate human words and sounds from the human environment. An acquaintance of mine who rehabilitated a blue jay was driven to distraction because it had learned to imitate her cell phone’s ringing.

Love ’em or hate ’em, you’ve got to admit blue jays are unique.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net