Vibrant, intelligent blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) will liven your yard with a little bit of commotion and color. Blue Jays, members of the corvid family, are renowned for their sophisticated social behaviors and inquisitive disposition. These year-round residents of many areas of North America make a regular and pleasing sight in any backyard. Attracting Blue Jays to your yard depends on knowing their needs and preferences. Offering the correct food, drink, and cover will help to establish a Blue Jay-friendly habitat that will keep these lovely birds returning.
Favorite Foods of Blue Jays
Blue Jays are opportunistic omnivores, meaning their diet consists in a range of seeds, nuts, fruits, and even insects. Their strong appetites drive them often to bird feeders, particularly when their preferred meals are readily available. Attaching Blue Jays to your yard starts with knowing what they enjoy to eat.
1. Peanut: Blue Jay Favorite
Blue Jays really like peanuts, whole, shelled, or even in the form of peanut butter. These birds have strong beaks that let them easily crack open the shells, hence peanuts are the ideal reward. When you toss some peanuts, expect a vibrant show as Blue Jays swoop in to claim their fair portion. Often leading to interesting arguments among jays, they are well-known for their habit of gathering multiple nuts at once and flying off to hide them for later.
2. Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds—especially black oil sunflower seeds—are also quite beloved by Blue Jays. Popular at feeders, these seeds are high in fat and simple for Blue Jays to handle. With their strong beaks, blue Jays can also readily shatter open striped sunflower seeds.
3. Mealworms with Suet
Suet, a high-energy food especially essential in the winter when natural food supplies are few, also draws blue Jays. Blue Jays may eat shreds, nuggets, suet cakes, even suet butter. Apart from suet, another excellent choice are mealworms—fresh and dry. Mealworms are particularly tempting to Blue Jays during the breeding season when they require more food and offer protein.
4. Corn and Berries
Whether it’s whole or cracked corn, blue Jays also enjoy eating corn. A wonderful choice for filling big feeders, maize will be quickly consumed by them. Blue Jays also like a range of fruit, including huckleberries, blackberries, elderberries, cherries, and grapes. Providing these fruits will draw Blue Jays and diversify your garden ecology.
Great Blue Jay Feeders
Blue Jays’ size and bold character call for bigger, stronger feeders that can meet their needs. Making your yard a Blue Jay hotspot requires careful selection of feeder type.
1. Hopper Feeders
Attracting Blue Jays is much enhanced with hopper feeders. Usually big and robust, these feeders have a design that lets a lot of food be easily stored and dispensed. Given Blue Jays’ weight, which exceeds that of many other typical backyard birds, hopper feeders’ design also helps them to be less prone to be turned over.
2. Platform feeders
For Blue Jays, another fantastic choice are platform feeders. Multiple Blue Jays at once can be accommodated on the open, level surface these feeders offer. Offering a range of foods—including bigger things like whole peanuts or corn on the cob—the open design also facilitates this. Platform feeders are a favorite among backyard birdwatchers who wish to draw a range of bird species, including Blue Jays since of its ease and adaptability.
3. Tools for Special Treats
Apart from bigger feeders, little plates can be utilized to present more selective delicacies including mealworms or peanut hearts. Blue Jays will have simple access to the food depending on whether these dishes are placed on a platform feeder or straight the ground. Fresh fruit or suet are two items you might choose to store apart from the main feeder and provide in dishes.
Natural Blue Jays Food Sources
Although feeders are a good approach to draw Blue Jays, including natural food sources into your yard will improve their surroundings and supply more nutrition. Not only will planting nut-bearing trees and shrubs draw Blue Jays, but other animals will benefit as well.
1. Tree Productive in Nutrients
Particularly loved by blue Jays are nut-producing trees including oak, beech, hazelnut, and pinyon pine. Blue Jays have a year-round natural supply of food available from these trees. One or more of these trees planted in your yard will naturally serve Blue Jays as a food source, therefore lessening the need for continual feeder replenishment.
Two: fruit trees and berry bushes
Another great addition to a yard suited for Blue Jays are tiny fruit trees and berry bushes. These plants are a great food source since Jays will gladly eat cherries, grapes, blackberries, elderberries, and huckleberries. Apart from food, berry bushes and fruit trees provide Blue Jays with cover and nesting places, therefore augmenting your landscape in many ways.
supplying water for blue Jays
Like any bird, Blue Jays require water for bathing and drinking. Attracting these birds and maintaining their health depend on a consistent water supply in your yard.
1. Bathing in Birds
Blue Jays are active bathers who need a big, strong bird bath fit for their size and forceful splashing. Blue Jays would find a 2-3 inch deep bird bath perfect. These birds are rather active in the water, hence regular inspection of the bird bath is crucial to make sure it hasn’t been emptied by their splashing.
2. Flow of Moving Water
Adding a dripper or wiggler to your bird bath will draw blue Jays to the sound and motion of water. Moving water not only tastes great for Blue Jays but also helps maintain the water clean and clear of trash.
3. Winter Water Supplies
Blue Jays live year-round, hence water during the winter is quite important. By keeping the water from freezing, a heated bird bath guarantees Blue Jays have access to drinking water even in the coldest of conditions. Blue Jays still require water to drink, hence even if they may not bathe as often in the winter, a heated bird bath would be a great addition to your yard.
Establishing Blue Jay Shelter
Apart from food and drink, Blue Jays require cover to be safe and shield from strong winds and predators. Offering the correct kinds of cover will help your yard appeal more to these birds.
1. Mature Foresters
For cover, blue Jays especially need tall deciduous and coniferous trees—maturity trees. In the fall and winter when deciduous trees have shed their leaves, evergreen trees are especially vital. Evergreens give Blue Jays year-round cover and a hiding place from the elements.
2. Rich Shrubbery
Including thick shrubs in your yard will also draw Blue Jays. When planted next to mature trees, shrubs offer extra protection and can be very helpful in generating layered shelter choices. Before reaching feeders, Blue Jays could use these shrubs as a staging ground or cover from predators.
3. Sites of Nesting:
Blue Jays construct their nests in the same trees they seek cover from throughout the breeding season. You can supply things including twigs, grass clippings, and pine needles to inspire nesting. Blue Jays are clever builders of nests, hence by providing these things, you raise the possibility of them nesting in your yard. Although Blue Jays usually do not use birdhouses, they could make use of big nesting shelves covered with a sloping roof or set under eaves.
Drawing in Other Kinds of Jays
Although Blue Jays are the most often occurring jay species in North America, by applying identical strategies you can attract numerous other jays to your yard.
1. Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) Woodhouse
The most common jay in western United States is Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. Though they lack the characteristic crest, these birds have size and behavior comparable to those of Blue Jays. They are found in Texas to Nevada to Utah and Colorado, then into Arizona and New Mexico. They are easy to draw with the same feeding techniques as, like Blue Jays, they like suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.
2. California Scrub-Jay (Californica aphelocoma)
Found along the Pacific Coast, from California to Oregon and Washington, the California Scrub-Jay is Though they have different eating patterns, these birds are more vibrantly colored than the Scrub- Jay from the Woodhouse. Peanut, sunflower seed, and mealworm offerings will draw these jays to your yard.
Steller’s Jay, or Cyanocitta stelleri:
Mountain bird Steller’s Jay likes richer alpine forests. They are found all throughout the Rocky Mountains and along the Pacific Coast as far south as northern and central California. Bold crests and stunning blue and black plumage define these jays. Like Blue Jays, Steller’s Jays are omnivorous and will quickly frequent feeders loaded with sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts.
4. Canada Jay, sometimes known as Perisoreus canadensis
Found in deep forests in the northwest Rocky Mountains and across Canada’s boreal forests into Alaska, the Canada Jay—also known as the Gray Jay or Whiskey Jack—is Though they lack the blue coloration of other jays, these birds are nevertheless closely related. Suet is especially loved by Canada Jays, hence a mix of suet cakes, peanut butter, and mealworms will draw them in.
Pinyon Jay, also known as Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
An interior west bird, the Pinyon Jay prefers drier environments across western Colorado, northern New Mexico and Arizona, into Nevada, Montana, and eastern California. Usually traveling in great numbers, these jays are quite sociable. Plant pinyon trees and distribute peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet at feeders to draw Pinyon Jays.
6. Mexican Jay, or Aphelocoma wollweberi
Found in eastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and into Mexico, the Mexican Jay is a southwest specialist species. Though they look simpler generally, these birds resemble scrub-jays. Mealworms, sunflower seeds, and peanuts are among the items they like the same as other jays.
7. Green Jay: Cyanocorax yncas
A tropical jay, the Green Jay boasts vivid green, blue, black, and yellow plumage. Target species for many birders visiting south Texas, this jay is a specialty of the area. Emphasizing peanuts, suet, and fresh fruit, attracting Green Jays calls for the same feeding techniques as for Blue Jays.