Intelligent feathered beauties

Blue jays

Last week we introduced you to a spectacular species of bird that most of you would undoubtedly have been fascinated with. Today too we like to familiarise you with yet another striking avian friend, the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) which is a passerine bird, and a member of the Corvidae family.This bird is not common in our Motherland because it is a native of North America. It belongs to the "blue", Canadian or American jays, which are, among the Corvidae, not closely related to other jays.

As we are not likely to come across any of these vibrantly hued jays in our Motherland, let's check out some interesting facts about these members of the avian family.

Birds no matter which species they belong to never fail to amaze us with their colourful feathers, beautiful songs or special traits. The Blue Jay too is one such feathered beauty which measures 22-30 cm (9-12 in) from bill(beak) to trail. It weighs about 70-100 grams (2.47-3.53 oz), with a wingspan of 34-43 cm (13-17 in).

If you look closely at the bird's photographs featured here you may notice that it has a pronounced crest on its head. Now if you are wondering what a crest is, it is a crown of feathers, which may be raised or lowered according to the bird's mood. When excited or aggressive, the crest may be fully raised and when frightened, the crest may spread outward like the bristles in a hair brush. There is hardly any evidence of this crest when the bird is feeding among other jays or resting. The crest is generally flattened to the head at such times.

Going by its name alone (even if you had not seen the photographs) you may naturally think that the bird is blue in colour. Yes, the blue jay has a plumage which is lavender-blue to mid-blue in the crest, back, wings, and tail while its face is white.

The underside is off-white and the neck is collared with black which extends to the sides of the head. The wing primaries and tail are strongly barred with black, sky-blue and white. But the bird's bill, legs, and eyes are all black. Males and females are almost identical except that males are slightly larger in size.

Here is some fascinating information about the colouration of most blue birds. As with other blue-hued birds, the Blue Jay's colouration too is not derived by pigments. It is the result of light interference due to the internal structure of the feathers. This is referred to as 'structural colouration'. If you ever come across the feather of such a blue hued bird try crushing it. You will be surprised to see the blue disappear as the structure is destroyed.

Did you know that these birds have strong black bills which they use for cracking nuts and acorns and also for eating corn, grains and seeds? However, their menu does not stop at these; they also eat insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.

We know that birds have the ability to make various sounds, some of which are truly melodious. Blue Jays too can make a large variety of sounds, and individuals may vary in their calling style. As most corvids, learn to mimic human speech, Blue Jays can also copy the cries of local hawks so well that sometimes people in the area have found it difficult to tell which it is. Among the typically varied sounds these birds make, the most commonly recognised sound is said to be the alarm call, which is a loud, almost seagul-like scream. There is also a high-pitched jayer-jayer call that increases in speed as the bird becomes more agitated. This particular call can be easily confused with the chick-a-dee's song because of the slow starting chick-ah-dee-ee.

Blue Jays will use these calls to band together to mob potential predators such as hawks and drive them away from the jays' nests.

Blue Jays also have quiet, almost subliminal calls which they use among themselves in proximity. One of the most distinctive calls of this type is often referred to as the "rusty pump" owing to its squeaky resemblance to the sound of an old hand-operated water pump.

The Blue Jay (and other corvids) are distinct from all other songbirds for using their call as a birdsong.The Blue Jay occurs from southern Canada through the eastern and central USA south to Florida and northeastern Texas. The Western edge of the range stops where the arid pine forest and scrub habitat of the closely related Steller's Jay (C. stelleri) begins.

Recently, the range of the Blue Jay has extended northwestwards so that it is now a rare, but regularly-seen winter visitor along the northern US and southern Canadian Pacific Coast.Jays are quite common in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. As the two species' ranges now overlap, C. cristata may sometimes hybridize with Steller's Jay.

The northernmost subspecies C. c. bromia is migratory, subject to necessity. It migrates during the daytime, in loose flocks of 5 to 250 birds.

The Blue Jay occupies a variety of habitats within its large range, from the pine woods of Florida to the spruce-fir forests of northern Ontario. It is less abundant in denser forests, preferring mixed woodlands with oaks and beeches. It has expertly adapted to human activity, occurring in parks and residential areas, and can adapt to wholesale deforestation with relative ease if human activity creates other means for the jays to get by.The Blue Jay is known to be a moderately slow flier and therefore an easy prey for hawks and owls, when it flies in open lands.

It flies with body and tail held level, with slow wing beats. It has also been known to sound an alarm call when hawks or other dangers are near, and smaller birds often recognise this call and hide themselves away accordingly. It may also be aggressive towards humans who come close to its nest, and if an owl roosts near the nest during the daytime the Blue Jay mobs it until it takes a new roost.

Its food is sought both on the ground and in trees and includes virtually all known types of plant and animal sources, such as acorns and beech mast, weed seeds, grain, fruits and other berries, peanuts, bread, meat, small invertebrates of many types, scraps in town parks, bird-table food and rarely eggs and nestlings.

Blue Jays will sometimes cache(store) food, though to what extent differs widely among individuals.

When it comes to making a home for the offspring, any suitable tree or large bush may do, though an evergreen is generally preferred. The nest is preferentially built at a height of three to 10 m. It is cup-shaped and composed of twigs, small roots, bark strips, moss, other plant material, cloth, paper, and feathers, with occasional mud added to the cup.

Blue Jays are not very choosey about nesting locations unlike some birds. If no better place is available for instance, in a heavily deforested area - they will even use places like the large letter boxes typical of the rural United States. They also appropriate(take for oneself) nests of other mid-sized songbirds as long as these are placed in suitable spots; American Robin nests are commonly used by Blue Jays for example.

Blue Jays typically bond for life with its mate. Both male and female birds build the nest and rear the young, though only the female broods them. The male feeds the female while she is brooding the eggs. There are usually four to five eggs laid and incubated over 16-18 days.

The young fledge usually between 17-21 days after hatching. After the juveniles fledge, the family travels and forages together until early fall, when the young birds disperse to avoid competition for food during the winter.

Jays are some of the more intelligent birds. They will wait and watch for a person to put food down and as soon as the person walks away they will swoop down and steal it. Along with crows which, we commonly see around our environs, Jays will also watch a person planting seed crops and afterwards dig up and eat the seeds. Jays are very territorial birds, and they will chase others from a feeder for an easier meal.The Blue Jay has a bad reputation as a raider of other birds' nests, stealing eggs, chicks, and nests. However, this may not be as widespread as is typically thought.Blue Jays, like other corvids, are highly curious and very intelligent birds. Young individuals playfully snatch brightly coloured or reflective objects, such as bottle caps or pieces of aluminium foil, and carry them around until they lose interest. Blue Jays in captivity have been observed using strips of newspaper as tools to obtain food.

Facts and pix: Internet

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Fast facts

* It is the provincial bird of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

* Toronto's major league baseball team is called the Toronto Blue Jays.

* In old African American folklore of the southern United States, the Blue Jay was held to be a servant of the Devil, and was not encountered on a Friday as he was fetching sticks down to Hell; furthermore, he was so happy and chirpy on a Saturday as he was relieved to return from Hell.

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Subspecies

Four subspecies are generally accepted, though the variation within this species is rather subtle and essentially clinical. No firm boundaries can be drawn between the inland subspecies.

* Cyanocitta cristata bromia - Northern Blue Jay

Canada and northern USA. The largest subspecies, with fairly dull plumage. Blue is rather pale.

* Cyanocitta cristata cristata - Coastal Blue Jay.

Coastal USA from North Carolina to Texas, except southern Florida. Mid-sized and very intensely blue.

* Cyanocitta cristata cyanotephra - Interior Blue Jay.

Inland USA, intergrading with C. c. bromia to the north. Mid-sized, quite dark blue on mantle contrasting cleanly with very white underside.

* Cyanocitta cristata semplei - Florida Blue Jay.

Southern Florida.The smallest subspecies, much like C. c. bromia in colour.