Feeding baby bluejays

In their natural habitat, the average life expectancy of jays is 5-7 years. Under especially favorable climatic and weather conditions, which contribute to the maintenance of a good food base, there are cases when jays live 16-17 years. Birds removed from the nest at an early age are well tamed and, if they are well fed, cared for and kept in spacious cages or aviaries, can live in captivity for 18-20 years. nine0025

Range, habitats

Jay can be seen everywhere in Europe, including Scandinavia and northern regions of Russia . The area of ​​distribution of birds also includes the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the north of Iran and the African continent, the southern regions of Siberia, and the northern parts of the Mongolian Altai. Almost everywhere, with the exception of humid subtropics, jays live in the Far East. Despite the fact that birds were previously considered to be mostly mainland, today they are also found on the islands: species are known that form nests in Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Crete, the Greek archipelago, Sakhalin, the South Kuriles and the insular part of Kamchatka. Jays usually do not go on long flights, surviving the winter in their permanent habitats and leaving them only in cases of severe crop failure or adverse changes in climatic conditions. Thus, the migration of jays is not regular, and it would be more correct to say that some of the populations are migratory, and some are sedentary and nomadic. nine0025

This is interesting! The presence of these birds as characters in the myths of various peoples, from Oceania to Norway and from Japan to Britain, indicates the widespread and even omnipresence of jays. The Slavs, for example, have such a belief. Bird Iriy (Vyriy) is a place where birds fly away for the winter, accompanying the souls of dead people in their wanderings.

At the beginning of spring, the gates of Iria open, and storks rush to the awakening earth, bringing newborn babies to the world. Only three birds have the keys to this amazing abode - the nightingale, swallow and jay, which are the first to appear in Iria and the last to return from there. Jay habitats are associated with forests, mainly oak forests and mixed massifs. In the south, birds also nest among bushes. Vertically, the species is distributed from the lowlands to the wooded belt of the mountains, not exceeding a level of about 1600 m.

Jay bird diet

Plant-based diet of jays . Most often, acorns fall into tenacious claws, which the birds deftly split with the sharp edges of the upper beak. Jays supplement their favorite menu with nuts and various berries - raspberries, strawberries, lingonberries, mountain ash. If it is not possible to find acorns in oak forests, jays feed on the seeds of oats, wheat, sunflowers, peas, extracting them in the fields. From mid-spring to late autumn, jays include new “products” in their diet. The main prey of birds during this period are pests:

• bronze beetles;
• leafworms;
• barbels;
• May beetles;
• weevils;
• silkworm caterpillars;
• sawfly larvae.

On occasion, jays can show predatory instincts, and then small rodents, frogs, lizards and even small birds - white-browed thrushes, tits, warblers, gray flycatchers, as well as their offspring become food for them. But only some subspecies behave this way, acorns remain the main preference for European jays. nine0025

This is interesting! Jay has a habit of stockpiling for future use. She fills her sublingual sac with found food, which allows her to quickly transfer prey to secluded places under the bark of trees, in a litter of foliage or moss. In such pantries, sometimes up to 4 kg of various food is collected. Sometimes birds forget about their hiding places, and then their contents, sprouting, give rise to new oak and walnut groves.

In winter, when it is impossible to get food from under the snow cover in the forest, jays can be seen near people's dwellings on the outskirts of villages and even in the city, where they go in search of food. Some species in conditions of lack of a natural food source become synanthropic, that is, they live in close proximity to humans. nine0025

The jay belongs to the corvid family, but forms a separate species. These birds live almost everywhere: in Europe, in the Caucasus, in Asia Minor, in the northern parts of Africa and Iran, in the Crimea. These birds are found in Japan, China, the Far East and Korea.

Appearance

The Mockingjay is a jackdaw-like bird. The length of her body is approximately 30-40 centimeters along with a tail growing up to 12-15 centimeters.

The description of the jay bird should be started with its wings - their wingspan is 50-55 centimeters, while the length of the wings themselves is about 15-17 centimeters. Mockingbirds weigh quite a bit, only 170-200 grams. The head is decorated with a beautiful wide crest. Above the tail, the feathers are painted white, while the beak, wings, and the tail itself are black. The body of the bird has a rusty-brown plumage with narrow stripes of bright blue on the shoulders. nine0025

Head feathers of jays from different regions are colored differently. So, European individuals have light feathers with brown specks. Asians wear a light brown “hairstyle”, mockingbirds from the Caucasus and Asia Minor flaunt black. Wide black stripes run from the beak to the neck. The paws are red-brown, the neck is light. The wings are rounded, the jay bird flies rather slowly.

In moments of excitement, the bird raises the feathers on its head, forming a pretty tuft. At the sight of predators or people, jays make loud noises, warning other animals and birds of the approaching danger. nine0025

In general, the mockingbird looks very smart and beautiful. But not everyone can see this, as these birds are very shy.

Behavior

Those who are just getting to know this bird often have the question: "Is the jay a migratory bird or not?" Individuals living in the south permanently reside in the same territory. Those who inhabit the northern regions also try not to move away from their usual places without special need. Birds leave their native territories only in case of crop failure or too unfavorable conditions. It turns out that the migration of jays is extremely irregular. nine0025

This bird is quite curious and noisy. Long flights are not characteristic of her. Most of the time, she prefers to jump on branches from one tree to another, snooping in the thickets of the forest.

Jay's voice is rattling, sharp. This species perfectly imitates the sounds of other birds or even the voice of a person. Actually, it is for this reason that the jay received the nickname "mockingbird". There are frequent cases when meowing or barking is suddenly heard in a dense forest: these are birds, having visited human habitation, remember the sounds they heard there. nine0025

In cold winters, when it is difficult to dig out food from under the snow, mockingbirds tend to open places, often appearing on the outskirts of towns and villages.

Nutrition

The jay is a forest inhabitant that spends her whole life in the thicket. This species can eat not only vegetable, but also animal food. Most often, the food of mockingbirds is berries, seeds, insects, frogs, eggs of small birds, lizards. In addition, some jays attack chicks, small rodents, or young songbirds that are just learning to fly. They can also gather food on the ground by jumping. nine0025

The jay bird, the photo and description of which can be seen in this article, is quite smart. She stores acorns for the winter, collecting them and hiding them in her hiding places. Some individuals collect up to 4 kilograms of acorns. If a bird wants to eat a caterpillar that rustles under the bark, the jay can stick its head out and break the bark. In the same way, she gets other hiding insects. Very often, jay caches are discovered by squirrels or other birds that eat all the stocks. nine0025

However, the jay often doesn't even think about its reserves. Such a short memory of a bird plays into the hands of oaks - forgotten acorns sprout, forming new oak forests.

Reproduction

Nesting in jays begins in early spring. Birds form pairs and begin to build a nest. For these purposes, they choose the darkest corners of the forest. They can build a nest both on coniferous trees and on deciduous ones.

Nests are built on side branches raised above the ground to a height of 2-5 meters. They are twisted from branches, covering the inside with dry grass. It resembles a bowl with a diameter of about 20-30 centimeters, a depth of 15 centimeters. Down, feathers, wool, moss are laid on the grassy bottom of the mockingbird. Sometimes jays equip ready-made hollows as their home. nine0025

The female can lay 5-7 eggs, after which she incubates them for 16-17 days. The chicks hatch around mid-May. The first 20 days they are diligently fed by their parents. By the end of June, young jays fly out of the nest. Until the first days of autumn, the chicks try to stay close to their parents, after which they begin an independent life. Usually, young individuals from different families gather in a flock and look for a suitable place to live.

Lifespan

Jay in nature lives about 5-7 years. However, cases have been recorded when they lived to be 22 years old. nine0025

Enemies

The jay, whose photo and description would be incomplete without a story about the dangers that await her in life, leads an active lifestyle. While the sun is shining, mockingbirds forage for their food. But as soon as night falls, the birds hide in the branches of trees. In bad weather or a winter snowstorm, jays find shelter under spruce branches.

Mockingjay has many enemies in nature. The bird must be wary of predators and larger birds. An owl, a marten, a gray crow, and a goshawk can attack her. Nevertheless, the bird population retains its numbers. Currently there is no threat of extinction of the species. nine0025

Popularity and legends

Jay, whose photo will decorate any collection, is quite popular not only because of her good looks. There are more interesting skills for which people are ready to keep birds at home or attribute wonderful qualities to them.

So, jays are capable of more than just repeating sounds. There are cases when a bird repeated more than ten words, imitating not only words, but also a human voice.

In addition, some individuals are able to cope with the viper, which makes them a desirable pet in areas where these reptiles are often found. nine0025

In some cultures, the jay is considered a kind of lucky bird. However, among other nations it is believed that these birds bring bad luck.

In the American TV series The Big Bang Theory, one of the main characters, terribly afraid of birds, became their ardent admirer thanks to the jay.

The recent film "The Mockingjay" brought great fame to this species, in which the bird was a symbol of freedom, the fight against oppression and injustice.

And one can't help but remember Harper Lee's excellent novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The mention of this bird in the book boils down to the fact that mockingbirds are very harmless, able to bring joy with their singing. They do not peck "cultivated" berries, do not make nests near human habitation. They just sing...

Jay is a widespread small bird with bright plumage and rich vocal repertoire. Jays are representatives of the passerine order and the corvid family. In ancient Rus', these birds were called "soy": most likely the name was formed from the verb "shine" and emphasized their beautiful, bright plumage.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Jays sort things out.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay on a branch.

Photo of a jay bird on the ground.

Jay (probably after bathing).

Birds of the Old World form 1 genus, including 3 species: common jay, decorated and Himalayan jay. When it comes to the jay, it is precisely the common or Eurasian jay, also known as the karez, that is meant. Jays of the New World form 8 genera, each of which includes several species of birds that differ greatly in appearance and plumage color. nine0025

What the Common Jay looks like

A person who is far from ornithology can easily confuse a jay with a cuckoo. Outwardly, these birds are very similar, but differ in size and color of the tail. The body length of an adult jay is approximately the same as that of a jackdaw and is about 15 cm, and taking into account the tail, from 25 to 40 cm. Kukshi are smaller, their size does not exceed 30 cm. The tail of the common jay is always black with a white uppertail, the feathers on the tail of the kuksha are red with a dark stripe running in the middle. nine0025

The plumage of the jay is loose and bright, and the head is decorated with a wide crest. The feathers on the head of Siberian jays are distinguished by a bright red color, the European jay can be distinguished by a whitish head with vertical brown streaks. In some subspecies, the crown is black.

The body of the common jay is brown with reddish, the tail and wings are always black, and a white spot is clearly visible above the tail. On the shoulders of birds, feathers of sky-blue color, dotted with thin black stripes, stand out in bright stripes. nine0025

Photo of a jay in winter.

Jay in flight.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photo of a jay in the forest.

Photos of jays.

Jay in flight.

Habitat and lifestyle

Common jay can be found throughout Europe, in many countries in Asia and North Africa. Most jays lead a nomadic lifestyle, in the north of the range they are migratory, the southern populations are sedentary birds.

The incubation period lasts 16 - 17 days. After birth, the chicks need care for about 3 weeks, then they are already able to fly, but remain under the care of their parents until autumn. nine0025

Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay on a branch in winter.

Jay in the forest.

Jay in the forest.

Diet

The diet of the jay consists of various plants and small animals. Of plant foods, birds prefer berries and seeds, European subspecies feed mainly on acorns. One jay is able to hide up to 4 kg of acorns for the winter, thereby contributing to the reproduction of oak groves. nine0025

Animal foods include insects, rodents, small reptiles and amphibians. Jays do not disdain representatives of their own detachment, for example, sparrows, and also do not miss the opportunity to ruin someone else's nest by eating masonry or chicks. Knowing about this behavior of jays, many hunters consider it their duty to take a bright bird under the gun.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay caught a mouse.

Jay with acorn.

Voice repertoire

Jays are considered one of the most notable forest mockingbirds. Their singing is a set of sharp, rattling trills and onomatopoeia of other birds.

If the birds happen to be near human habitation, their vocal abilities expand significantly: jays easily imitate dog barking, meowing, human voice, ax clatter and saw screeching.

Jay at a watering hole.

Jay on a tree.

Jays are easy to care for and well trained. These are not domestic birds, such as parrots, but patient and caring owners manage to teach their feathered pets to pronounce individual words. With good care, these birds can live up to 18-22 years. nine0025

The jay is distinguished by bright festive plumage. This creature has excellent adaptability, therefore, as a rule, it does not go on long migrations, but survives cold winters in northern latitudes, hiding from the weather under the canopy of trees. This bird is omnivorous, and often attacks small feathered counterparts, including tits and sparrows. These birds got their unusual name in ancient times. It is believed that it came from the word "shine", because of the very bright and colorful plumage. nine0025

The jay is distinguished by bright festive plumage

Considering that a distant relative of jays, the cuksha, has similar body structure and plumage coloration, people often confuse these species. However, they also have some characteristic differences. If you figure out what a jay looks like sitting on a tree or in flight, and know its description, you won’t be able to confuse it with another bird in the future. Currently, this species of birds is increasingly attracting the attention of ornithologists, as they show remarkable mental abilities, although they cannot imitate sounds as well as parrots do. nine0025

This bird is omnivorous and often attacks smaller birds, including tits and sparrows

In size, these birds rarely surpass less colorful and memorable jackdaws. The length of the jay's body from the beak to the tail can reach approximately 40 cm. The feather of the jay is small and smooth. The wingspan is quite large and is usually about 50 cm. The jay, sitting on a branch, looks smaller than when flying. The weight of the bird is relatively small and ranges from 170 to 200 g. The legs are long. Tenacious fingers crowned with small claws make it easier for the bird to cling to branches. The head is big enough. The beak of this bird species is short and pointed at the horseback. The upper beak is much larger than the lower. nine0025

Decorated jay with bright plumage attracts attention. Its back, breast, abdomen and upper wings are covered with rusty-brown feathers. The crest on the head, as well as the tail and tips of the wings, are distinguished by a black color. In addition, there are bright blue feathers on the forearms of birds. Black stripes run along them, which only creates additional contrast. In addition, there are large white spots on the wings. The uppertail of the bird is also distinguished by a light beige color. On the throat there are black stripes running along the sides. In young birds, the tail is less long, and the plumage has a richer red color. nine0025

One of the features of adult jays is the presence of light blue eyes. In young individuals, they are usually dark brown in color. At present, the reasons for the change in iris pigmentation in jays are unknown, but it is believed that this is a possible signal to other representatives of the species that the birds are already ready for breeding, and can become a partner in the mating season. These feathered creatures are distinguished by their increased ability to imitate sounds made by other birds. That is why the jay is a mockingbird. There are frequent cases when this feathered creature living with people tried to imitate some words they liked. However, such sounds are rather indistinct, so they cannot be compared with words that can be spoken by parrots. nine0025

Bird jay (video)

Gallery: bird jay (25 photos)

Jay distribution area

These birds are common in nature. Thanks to increased shyness, high intelligence and adaptive abilities, resin jays spread throughout Europe. Their large population is observed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, Portugal, France. Among other things, the habitat of these unique birds extends to almost the entire territory of China and Korea. In addition, these birds inhabit the territory of northern Iran. Despite the fact that these birds are mostly mainland, they are also found on the islands. For example, there is a species living on Sakhalin. nine0025

On the territory of Southern Siberia there is a variety of jays, which differs in plumage color. This is a migratory view. In reality, birds try to settle in the forest or forest-steppe zone. These birds try to avoid steppe and desert areas, since here they would get less food, and they would be more susceptible to attacks by predators.

Behavior and nutrition of the jay in the natural environment

From the northern regions, these birds annually migrate from more southern latitudes. This allows them to avoid severe frosts. Jays living in the center and south of Eurasia usually lead a sedentary lifestyle. Throughout the summer period, they try to stay as far away from human settlements as possible, preferring forests and shrub groves. In addition, during this period in the natural environment, they can find enough food. For the winter, jays migrate to gardens and cities. Here they can find more food. nine0025

It is worth noting that jays are quick-witted creatures. They are stockpiling. Often, during the autumn period, a jay can accumulate up to 4 kg of acorns. Nature can provide other sources of food for birds, such as pine nuts. That is why in places where there are oaks and cedars, large populations of these feathered creatures live. It is well known what the jay eats.

At different times of the year, her diet may include:

• cereal seeds; nine0070
• nut pulp;
• insects of all kinds;
• snails;
• shellfish;
• frogs;
• small rodents;
• lizards
• small birds;
• chicks.

Usually birds actively feed throughout the spring-summer period, which allows them to accumulate fat. However, already at the beginning of autumn, the birds switch to the preparation of stocks. Usually acorns or nuts, if they are in abundance, they hide in rotten stumps or hollows. One jay can make a lot of caches, but at the same time, it’s okay for her to rob a neighbor. There is evidence that some jays try to store some crops. For example, they often steal small potatoes, carrots and even beets. They peck at frozen root crops when the cold sets in and finding food becomes difficult. It was revealed that urban jays rarely make stocks for the winter. nine0025

During this unfavorable period, they try to feed themselves in man-made feeders, as well as in garbage dumps. Jays have adapted to steal nuts and some products stored on balconies. Thus, despite their natural fearfulness, these creatures are distinguished by a certain ability to take risks. In some areas, hunters deliberately shoot jays, believing that they cause too much damage by stealing the eggs and chicks of other bird species. However, the benefits of these feathered creatures far outweigh the harm. Jays are very voracious, so during the summer season they can destroy many insects that are natural pests of the forest and garden, and in addition, regulate the number of rodents. The jay also has enemies - it is often attacked by hawks, owls, crows and even martens. nine0025

Many jays can stomp on the top of the anthill for a long time to get rid of blood-sucking insects that have bred in the feather cover. Some individuals of these birds undergo similar procedures even for prevention purposes. In winter, during bad weather, jays often gather in small flocks under the spreading branches of a spruce or other coniferous tree. This allows the birds to lose less heat.

Jay nest and her chicks (video) nine0019

Jay breeding season

In early spring, these birds begin to search for partners. Usually at this time, jays try to move to live in dense forest thickets along the banks of rivers and lakes. Here they gather in flocks, begin to shout loudly and arrange battles. The process may take about a week. Further, the formed couple immediately begins to search for a suitable place. The jay's nest is usually located on a very strong bough or in a branching area of ​​the trees.

The nest is in the shape of a shallow bowl. Its outer contour is laid out from fairly coarse branches, and the inner surface is lined with soft grass and leaves. After that, the female begins to lay eggs. There may be from 4 to 7 pieces in their nest.

Eggs have a light green or yellowish-brown shell. Next, a pair of jays take turns incubating them. The incubation process, depending on weather conditions, can take from 15 to 17 days. Any jay chick is characterized by increased voracity. Parents are forced to search for food all daylight hours in order to feed their vociferous offspring. nine0025

In years when there are not too many insects, some of the chicks die of starvation. With enough food, the young grow quickly and get stronger. Usually in this case, after 20 days, they change their plumage to an adult and begin to fly out of the nest. However, the chicks become partially independent. They are under the care of their parents until autumn.

Chicks should first eat exclusively caterpillars and beetles, since they need a lot of protein to form the skeleton and muscle frame. After fledging and the beginning of independent flights, they switch to plant foods. nine0025

Attention, only TODAY!

Jay is a bird with bright plumage from the corvid family, widely distributed in our forests. It got its name from the old form of the verb "shine", to which it owes its beautiful colorful wings and lively disposition. In the forest, it serves as a real watchman, announcing the appearance of a stranger with sharp cries and noisily flying from branch to branch. This is a shy and cautious bird, seeing danger, immediately jumps out of its familiar place, so you can most often see it only briefly. nine0025

The jay, familiar to us since childhood, is called a karez in a different way. It is distinguished by a uniform beige color with a light belly and a speckled tuft on the head, which bristles in case of alarm. The feathers of the wings are black and white, the so-called mirrors, and bright blue, which cross the black stripes.

The body length of the jay, including the tail, is about 35-40 cm, and due to the wide wingspan in flight, the bird seems much larger. It weighs an average of about 150-200 g. A representative of the passerine order lives throughout Europe, in some parts of Africa, America and Asia, in the Crimea, the Caucasus and Sakhalin. nine0025

The jay has a strong, rounded beak, pointed at the end, for cracking nuts and acorns. Male and female are colored the same. Young birds have a brown iris, which changes color to light blue with age, marking the entry into puberty.

For its ability to imitate sounds, the jay is called a mocking jay - she skillfully mimics the cat's meow, the barking of dogs, the bleating of sheep, the clatter of an ax, the creak of trees, the voices of other birds and even people.

nine0089

Jay lives not only in forests and large suburban parks, but also in the city, especially in warm seasons.

Most studied species

Depending on the range, representatives of the species differ in the color of the tuft: in the European jay it is light speckled, in the Siberian jay it is red, in the Caucasian or Crimean jay it is black. In total, there are about 44 varieties of this bird in nature. The most common ones are listed below.

• The blue jay is distinguished by its very bright blue back and wing plumage, sharp comb, and black necklace. Inhabits North America.
• The Chubby Jay has a pointed crest and is dark in color with a smooth transition from black on the head and chest to bright blue on the wings, tail and belly. It lives in some regions of America.
• Saxaul has a more monotonous gray-beige color with black spots, without characteristic blue blotches.
• Azure multi-colored in shape resembles a crow, has no tuft and is painted in black and blue. nine0070
• The Decorated Jay is native to Japan and is characterized by a purple-black head plumage and a chestnut-purple body color.

Because of its beige color, the jay is sometimes confused with the cuckoo, besides, it is its close relative from the order of passeriformes, and in English both birds have the same name.

Diet and food sources

The jay feeds on berries, nuts and seeds, insects, small mice, frogs and lizards. Among berries, the bird prefers mountain ash, bird cherry, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. In search of caterpillars hiding under the bark of trees, it sticks its beak under the bark, breaking it into pieces. It often destroys the nests of small birds, eating chicks and eggs, most often finches, tits and warblers. For this she is called a robber, and many hunters consider it their duty to take the jay under the gun. nine0025

However, along with harm, the bird also brings benefits, destroying voracious caterpillars and regulating the number of rodents. In addition, the jay is smart and thrifty, making pantries for the winter with stocks, which can accumulate up to 4 kg in one season. Carrying nuts and acorns in a special sublingual bag, she buries her prey in the ground away from the habitation of mice, diligently masking it with foliage and needles from above. In cold weather, such reserves save not only her, but also those animals who were lucky enough to find a treasure, especially squirrels. And in those pantries that were never found, oaks sprout from acorns, and in this way the bird spreads oak massifs. nine0025

The jay also hunts at feeders, stealing bread from small birds, in the city it flies to balconies where grain and nuts are stored. In the fields, it often picks up small potatoes left after harvesting and grains of cultivated cereals.

Mating season and nesting

The breeding season for jays begins at the end of March, when the males court the females, trying to attract them with mating trills borrowed from other birds and displaying their feathers. After the female indicates consent, mating is preceded by a feeding ritual, during which she assumes a horizontal position, imitating a chick, and allows herself to be fed. nine0025

After creating a pair, future parents start building a nest, which is located at a height of 1.5 to 5 m, most often in large side branches. A nest is built from twigs and twigs, inside it is covered with grass and tufts of wool. After a while, about 4-7 yellow-green eggs with spots appear in the nest, from which chicks hatch after 15 days. At this time, jays become secretive, moving silently through the forest. The cubs are taken care of until autumn, feeding on caterpillars, at which time they gradually learn to get out of the nest and sit on nearby branches.

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