BACKYARD ANIMAL WEEK!
(SUPER SURPRISE THURSDAY)
Who’s up for some backyard bird watching? Sometimes birds are the most abundant animal in your backyard. If you’re like us though, we don’t know all of our bird friends! Today’s Super Surprise bird is one everyone should know pretty well! Do you have your binoculars? It may not be hard to spot…
MEET THE BLUE JAY!
Range/Habitat: Central-Eastern North America/ woodlands, parks, suburban
Diet: Omnivores: acorns, seeds, spiders
Length: 12”
Conservation Status: common
Fun Facts:
- Blue jays are related to crows.
- They are highly intelligent and social birds.
- Blue jays can mimic speech and other birds; often you can hear them mimic hawks.
- They are highly territorial.
- Blue jays have bright blue plumage. They do not have pigment (cells that give fur, feathers and skin color). The color in their feathers comes from structure of the feather and how the light hits it.
- Blue jays are considered songbirds.
- Blue jays can be found in pairs or small family groups. They can form pairs for life.
- They have different calls, including an alarm call to warn for predators.
- Blue jays use mud to build their nests.
Blue jays are beautiful birds! We love to see them in our backyard. They are very smart. How cool is that they can mimic other birds and human speech? What are some of your favorite backyard birds?
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 
I love blue jays!
What a beautiful and ‘clever’ little bird… I have always thought that there is just not enough ‘blue’ in the natural world. This little fellow adds to the shade nicely; don’t you think?