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My favourite - Blue Jays!

An introduction to a dazzling creature...

By Shiwangi dwivediPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 3 min read
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Photo by Faye Cornish on Unsplash

Birds are the most amazing creatures in the world. There are so many varieties, colours, species and a lot more. Like in one of my articles we talked about the white peacocks. You can check out the article, here.

I always love to explore different species of birds all around and this journey has brought me to a beautiful jaybird - the Blue Jay.

Its dazzling blue colour with white and black plumage makes it one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

But the most interesting fact about this bird is that it’s actually not blue!

Now, you might be thinking…

Why do they look blue?

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, there is a pigment called - melanin present in their feathers, which is brown.

But they look blue because of a light scattering phenomenon in which the refraction of light takes place through the modified cells present on their feathers.

By taking one of their feathers in hand and crushing them, one can observe the real brown colour of the birds.

Photo by Sonia Nadales on Unsplash

Found across the forests of Eastern and Central North America, they are considered intelligent bird species as they can imitate the sound of other birds like hawks.

Why are they considered intelligent?

Hawks and owls are the most common predators of blue jays. So, whenever hawks are near in search of their prey, the jaybird imitates their sound to warn the other blue jays to make them fly away.

Sometimes it’s also seen that they mimic the sound to make the other birds fool so that they can feed alone on their meal!

Sounds interesting, right?

Let's talk a little about their diet and check out what do they love to eat?

What do they feed on?

Photo by Jack Bulmer on Unsplash

Blue jays mainly feed on nuts like acorns, seeds, arthropods, soft fruits and small insects from the air.

They used to store nuts for winters, but most of the time these nuts are never recovered from their hidden places.

As never found again, these nuts grew up into the oak trees and result in new forests.

Some of them also feed on eggs and nestlings of other birds but it’s found rare.

Fun facts

Till now we discussed- why blue jays are considered intelligent, why do they look blue but are actually brown in colour and finally what do they feed on.

But in addition to all these, there are few more facts about Blue Jays which makes them an extraordinary bird species. It's time to discuss a few of them, here:

Photo by Kyle Van Alstyne on Unsplash

  • Blue jays show sexual monomorphism which means the males and females are similar in size and plumage.
  • Their nests are cup-shaped which are built by the participation of both sexes.
  • One clutch contains 5 to 7 eggs which are blue or light brown with brownish spots.
  • They usually fly around at 20–25 mph, which is very little as compared to other bird species.
  • Their slow speed makes it easy for the predators to catch them while flying in open areas.
  • The average life expectancy of the Blue Jays is 5–7 years. However, the oldest known female Blue jay was about 26 years and 11 months old!

Final thoughts

There are so many wonderful varieties of species in this world, that it’s impossible to tell the name of the most beautiful bird.

However, the stunning blue, black and white colour combination of Blue Jays makes them one of my favourite bird species!

And finally, I want to share that there is a famous quote which says :

"Not humans, but birds often witness the most beautiful mornings in this world!"

- Mehmet Murat İldan.

This quote seems so true that I am writing this story at 5 AM (it's sunrise time) in my room and can hear the birds chirping out there!

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I f you enjoyed reading and want more interesting stories like this, then drop a heart and subscribe to the page. You guys can also support me in my journey by pledging or tipping me!

Follow my instagram page and stay connected with me for more nature related facts and fun!

Nature
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About the Creator

Shiwangi dwivedi

Hey! I am a nature lover and love to write about different elements present on our planet. We will together explore the amazing beauty of nature! I explore and write on Medium too. Go and check it out-https://shivangidwivedi1900.medium.com/

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