Blue Jay (us-RGV)
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Regional Information
Range, Abundance, and Seasonal Variations
Found in the Edinburg neighborhood south of Freddy Gonzalez Dr. and east of Closner (Bus. 281) and near the Ebony Golf Course.
Directions and Maps
General Information
Size
Length: ??cm (??in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in)
Field Marks
Predominantly lavender-blue to mid-blue feathering from the top of the head to midway down the back. Pronounced crest on the head. The colour changes to black, sky-blue and white barring on the wing primaries and the tail. The bird has an off-white underside, with a black collar around the neck and sides of the head and a white face.
Similar species
Because of its large size, blue coloration and crest the Blue Jay is quite distinctive. Steller's Jay has dark underparts. Other jays lack a crest and have different markings.
Sounds
The voice is typical of most jays in being varied, but the most common sound is usually the alarm call, which is a loud, almost gull-like scream. There is also a high-pitched jayer-jayer call that increases in speed as the bird becomes more agitated.
Feeding & Behavior
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, eggs and nestlings, small invertebrates of many types, scraps in town parks and bird-table food.
Habitat & Nesting
It is mainly a bird of mixed woodland, including American beech and various oak species, but also of parks and gardens in some towns and cities. Any suitable tree or large bush may be used for nesting and both sexes build the nest and rear the young, though only the female broods them. There are usually 4-5 eggs laid and incubated over 16-18 days. The young are fledged usually between 17-21 days. Blue Jays typically form monogamous pair bonds for life.
Range
Blue Jays reside over a very large area of the eastern side of North America from Newfoundland in the northeast to Florida in the southeast and westward to Texas and the mid-west and eastern Colorado in the north. Generally found year round through most of its range. Some northern birds do move into the southern parts of the range.
Resources
