Because of their aggressive nature, some birders dread the site of Blue Jays at their backyard feeders. Known for destroying the eggs and nestlings of other birds, Blue Jays are often seen as a threat to other songbirds. Regardless of their troubled reputation, Blue Jays are one of the most beautiful birds that you can see in your backyard. What makes Blue Jays so special? Let's take a look:

Blue Jays are a very common sight east of the Rocky Mountains from Texas to Southern Canada. Their unique blue, white, and black plumage is some of the most recognizable in the bird world. Blue Jays typically stay in the same area throughout the year, though some have been observed migrating south in the fall and north in the spring. It has been noted that Blue Jays that migrate are often first year birds, rather than mature adults. They have 1-2 broods during the year, consisting of 4-5 eggs. The male and female Blue Jays are nearly identical in their appearance and difficult to tell apart, due in part to their similar look and behavior.

Blue Jays are extremely vocal, often using their "jaay-call", as well as a number of other sounds. Blue Jays are also able to imitate hawk calls, which they may use to scatter other songbirds. Blue Jays build their nests and will not use man-made housing. They prefer to build their nests in coniferous trees at heights ranging from 8 to 20 feet off the ground. Nests are built using twigs, bark, leaves, and are lined with finer materials.

Though a Blue Jay will destroy and eat eggs and nestlings of other birds, those two things only make up a small part of its diet. They most consume nuts, seeds, insects, and fruits, and are particularly fond of acorns, beechnuts, and black oil sunflower seeds. Their insect diet is comprised of grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. Blue Jays are very resourceful when it comes to food gathering, and will eagerly feed at backyard feeding stations. To attract Blue Jays, you can use a variety of different seed feeders. Blue Jays will use tube, platform, tray, and hopper feeders, and will eat mixed seeds as well as cracked corn.

If would like to attract Blue Jays to your backyard, BirdNest.com has a wide selection of products to meet your needs. We offer one of the largest selections of bird feeders, seed, and carry several informative books, such as the Stokes' Guide to Bird Behavior Volume 1 and their Eastern Region Field Guide to Birds at www.bestnest.com. If you would like more personal assistance, please email us at [email protected] or call 877-369-5446.