10 Fun Facts About Blue Jays | Noisy, Beautiful, Interesting

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

If you liked the video the best way to support the channel is by SHARING it with other fellow birders. For anyone interested in official LesleytheBirdNerd merchandise www.lesleythebirdnerd.com/ I appreciate each and every one of your support and I hope you enjoyed the show!

[@kingofnuclearfallout39]

Why are bird are so cute

[@nightwaves3203]

Maybe Newfoundland could be convinced to have more than one national or state bird to get a new fad of having more than one bird :) Great videos like always :)

[@O-ShinSpringsWater]

Get close to there net and you see an feel flying poop or alarm sounds . Laughing out loud. I have a beautiful blue jay nest on my persimmon tree. I think the egg hatched because the egg shells is still there .

[@TK-zj8mk]

Was waiting for these to come back!

[@nathanyao1233]

How often do you see the aurora borealis?

[@clare000777]

I loved to learn they are related to crows, also a highly intelligent bird.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Crows are so intelligent! They can solve all sorts of puzzles.

[@rebellucy5610]

I saw Blue Jay's going after crows in my background. Tough little bird.

[@Thor.Jorgensen]

Corvidae birds are THE most intelligent family of birds that exist. That includes ravens, crows, rooks, magpies, and blue jays. Corvidae are even smarter than dogs. And although it's harder to befriend a crow, they'll make fiercely loyal friends. Just be sure to keep them free and in the wild.

[@madelaineseguin1490]

I did see crows attacking a Blue Jay nest once...it was awful.🤦🏻‍♀️

[@Thor.Jorgensen]

​@@madelaineseguin1490 Right and magpies do also attack crows' nests. Sometimes, crows even attack the nests of other crows. And blue jays are no different in that regard. They too attack other nests and eat other birds' eggs. As far as I know, all Corvidae birds behave this way, including blue jays.

[@Roughneckwrangler]

My family had a pet Blue Jay back in the 80’s named Oscar, and he lived for around 10-11 years. One of my uncles was mowing his lawn in North Houston, and he found this tiny baby bird on the ground next to a tree. He placed him inside of a shoe box, and brought him to his mother ‘my great grandmother’ to take care of. My great grandmother fed him mashed up oat mill, and also minced grub worms. We didn’t believe we could keep him alive at that time, because he was so incredibly small. We’re we ever wrong. Through the years, Oscar would fly out of his large cage, and actually dance on our dining table, while tapping his right leg, and chirp a sweet melody. We would also feed him small pieces of bread, and he would fly around and land on someone’s shoulder. After this, he would then try and stuff the piece of bread inside of someone’s ear! And believe it or not, he could also chirp his name, OSCAR, repeatedly. Every time I mowed the lawn, I would stir up grasshoppers, and I would catch one or two, so as to feed Oscar. You see for a bird, a grasshopper is the equivalent of a Hershey Bar for us. Watching him eat the grasshopper was a treat, because he would always bite the head off first, then the wings, the legs, then the body. That most wonderful Blue Jay taught us a lot about his species to say the least. When Oscar finally passed away, we attempted to have him stuffed, and then mounted inside a beautiful glass lamp. Needless to say at the time, taxidermists were not allowed too mount Blue Jays, or many other bird species of this nature, due to various wildlife laws in Texas. Eventually we placed him inside a beautiful wooden box, and buried him in our personal pet cemetery. Aside from all of this, I really enjoyed your wonderful video. It obviously brought back many fond memories of our beloved family member, Oscar....

[@HadoukanFire]

💗

[@susanhfarrell6824]

That is the sweetest story! It’s amazing what we can learn from the animal kingdom! Thanks for sharing!

[@LaBucci]

Soren von Krogh beautiful story! Thanks for sharing ❤️❤️❤️

[@jojomusicsoulgranny]

Soren von Krogh what an awesome experience..l would love to have an experience like that..l love birds so much

[@wildatheart1165]

Beautiful story thank you

[@mrsdomino4196]

Two habits of my Blue Jays that impress me. They will shake a peanut 🥜 to find the heaviest one. They will mock the hawks call to startle the other birds away then happily eat in peace. Love my birds. Thank you very much for your work.

[@richhall1808]

I see this behavior every time they show up. They pick up every peanut, comparing and contrasting before flying off with the best one.

[@Fritaly]

Mrs Domino I got a kick out of watching mine weigh the peanuts to find the best ones. One was very very picky

[@davidbono9359]

The Steller's Jays that visit our feeders also spend time selecting the best peanut(s). Some of them even come back to the feeder with the peanut they picked up previously, and trade it in for a "better" one.

[@CityQueenChili]

Mine do the same thing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3fQZnx7mr6ratU

[@1flat5th]

In my eperience wit scrub jays in Cali they are very interested in the strongest shell with the least cracks. Maybe they will stay fresh longer.

[@ababble393]

I heard a blue jay saying “OOOOHHH” in my backyard :0

[@pikachupikachu6618]

Was there a raccoon as well 😂

[@1aundulxaldin]

Must've been a Regular kind of day in the Show of your life. Your backyard is also a mess by the way. Clean it up or YOU'RE FIRED!!

[@marga8732]

@@1aundulxaldin You know who else is gonna be fired soon? My mom! *Oh, wait…*

[@saitamaonepunch6388]

@@pikachupikachu6618 lol the racoon in my yard said "STOP TALKINGGGG"

[@farjanaislam5593]

@@saitamaonepunch6388 what???😂😂😂🤣🤣 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂 Oh that was hilarious!!

[@patrickcooper8923]

I had a Blue Jay fly into a window a few weeks back. We thought he was dead until I went to pick him up. He blinked at me and then turned to look at me. I picked him up and he held on to my finger for several minutes. His crest came up and he called out. We heard a return call from a nearby hedge and he flew away. We were happy to see this beauty was still in good shape.

[@timmholl9238]

We rescued a Blue Jay fledgling last year, and the way he visits our backyard, we know it's him. Glad to see he feels safe with us.

[@rgruenhaus]

@Cynthia Baker Trumpanzee time

[@jojomusicsoulgranny]

Terry Blanton that is an awesome experience..l love birds .would love to have that type of experience..Nature has a way to take care of itself..lt's amazing how some species are so intelligent..they know when our help is need

[@theadambridges]

I was blown away at the lifespan data, a potential for 27 years is INSANE. I was also shocked to find that not one state had them as their state bird, they seem like an obvious choice.

[@scallopohare9431]

They are the mascot of Johns Hopkins University. Maybe other schools, too.

[@DiegoGarcia-ip7pr]

I believe it is the provincial bird of Prince Edward Island, a province in Canada. So it has a last one fan.

[@freyathewanderer6359]

They're also the mascot of Toronto's baseball team.

[@nancybatcho6446]

I absolutely love Blue Jays! I feed them everyday and love to watch them. They will even knock on my sliding glass door or call out to me when they are hungry :)

[@amymurphy5472]

@Mopsygirl1 they peck at my windowsill too

[@oilfields1088]

I noticed the blue jays eating our cats food and I moved the dish. Shortly after they began telling me about it. I now feed them regularly.

[@ChristiRich]

I had a Blue Jay that returned every season for ten years. I called him Sinclair. He used to occasionally dive bomb my little Chihuahua, and I was happy that he felt safe making our backyard his home.

[@texastea5686]

Ah! Great story =) (except for your poor Chihuahua lol)

[@Karen-m2d1t]

Sinclair is a great name!

[@genuinelyspoken6611]

If u see a blue jay and a raccoon in ur backyard theyre probably hiding from a gumball machine coming to fire them

[@jairesemccoy9779]

😂😂😂

[@cathrinelazorchak7605]

Lol

[@EthanAnguian0-s1c]

and if u see a green fat man and a ghost with a hand on top of his head doing donuts in a golf cart, then the green fat man is about to make a my mom joke while swing his shirt 😂😂

[@TheUniverseWorksForUsBeings]

Benson!!!

[@Lemon-mw8tz]

😂😂😂

[@KFG721]

I have always loved having a backyard full of beautiful blue jays - my favorite fact is that they are part of the Corvid family !

[@TommyC503]

I have several feeders - love bird watching!

[@roymontero4066]

Blue Jays have Covid?!

[@timboslice4717]

@@roymontero4066 no you silly goose . Nobody has that . Get outta here with that fictitious propaganda, gander .

[@CvndyClvb]

@@timboslice4717 Calm down jesus

[@timboslice4717]

@@CvndyClvb why so blasphemous ? Lol Just feed the grackles and starlings without the mask, sheesh ! ☮️

[@earth2becky]

It’s so cool that the crest is up when they are aggressive and down when they are relaxed. You always see drawings and paintings of jays with their crests up. I think I will paint one with its crest down.

[@sly-fi6502]

It’s because their crest is so impressive, and that’s why they use it as a signal! 😂

[@davidtennyson4908]

The Blue Jays around my house raid my dogs feeder daily. They've eaten so much, a couple of them are starting to bark. But I love to watch them.

[@theveefit]

David Tennyson 😂😂 barking blue jays

[@matador4302]

ur fuckin stupid

[@elizabethmchenry3102]

so funny! Thank you!

[@jowlorenz9555]

@Terry Blanton don't be a cheapskate get them birdys some quality organic grains seeds or nuts --- i regularly set out raw peanuts each day consistently so as to keep the critters confident that us humanoids really do care ... Most of them store brand birdseeds have WAY too many unnatural ingreedients.

[@jowlorenz9555]

@Terry Blanton Big Bird FOR u ! Thanks fer making me laugh though ...

[@Armmani2000]

How can anyone hate them, one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen! Amazing video, thank you!

[@edhillmastersroofing895]

I guess a lot of people don’t even notice birds at all, but I have watched them daily most of my life. Beautiful!

[@russelder9743]

Lesley------this was really appreciated...with all the sadness in the world.....you put a smile on my face.......many thanks...God Bless you

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Aww Russ, you're very welcome. Makes me so happy to know I provide a little bit of positive light to this beautiful world

[@coolmomdb]

Ditto..

[@SW13333]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd - Double Ditto :) - Stephanie

[@usn4america368]

Russ ...Long time no see!! (USN 4 America) I hope you are well!!!

[@russelder9743]

@@usn4america368 hey brother...how are you doing? crazy times we live in.....stay safe........Go Navy

[@matthewparsons2264]

Blue Jays are actually my favorite type of bird!

[@johnbrown9176]

Had the great joy of raising an orphan jay and sharing my home with this wonderful creature for five years. He had so much personality and intelligence. He was amazing! Jaybird loved teasing my Patch my cockatiel to the point of almost driving the poor bird insane. I have the cutest picture of Jaybird and Patch on my chest fighting over "who" had ownership of this human! He really opened up my eyes on how God had given other creatures the ability to think, use tools, play and communicate. I miss him everyday!

[@texastea5686]

Aw thank you for sharing!😭❤

[@TekZulu]

I honestly expected that this was going to be some BuzzFeed kinda video, but I was delighted to find out that it's just someone passionate about birds sharing knowledge about them. Thank you for being a good corner of this website ^^

[@iPodFayne]

I live in NJ and learned a lot about birds by feeding and observing them feed. I noticed pretty quickly that blue jays weren't nearly the bullies people say they are, they're just noisy (sometimes) and - like any of the bigger birds - spook the little ones off the feeder momentarily when they first arrive. But honestly my local cardinals and red-bellied woodpecker were more aggressive. And pretty much everyone bullied my poor northern flickers :(

[@-Dog-]

I had the rarest of rare pleasures a few years back to have had one Blue Jay stop over in my back yard and spent the winter with its cousins, the Stellar's Jay. I am on the west coast of Canada and in all my years, had never seen one other than in pictures. I remember it was the sound that caught my attention, it is so unique! I was in awe when I found this majestic bird at my feeders with the Stellar's! I am sure it had been blown off course but it spent the rest of the winter with the Stellar's and gave me a few priceless memories, pictures and videos! Thank you Lesley for what you do, to promote and educate about these wonderful birds!

[@DGill48]

tons of Stellar's here at Lake Tahoe. I grew up in Maine, and knew the blue Jay well. When I first moved to Tahoe and spotted a Stellar's, it seemed like someone had painted the bird I knew from New England......the behaviour seemed exactly the same BUT I've never seen a blue Jay here! strange..

[@-Dog-]

@@DGill48 I just looked at a map of where the Blue Jays are most of the year and we are definitely excluded and I am pretty sure it is the mountain ranges that keep them mostly to the East. I would love to see them here all year as long as it has no effect on all the other species of birds. They and the Stellars are both beautiful in their own way!

[@studiojake5253]

Hi Dog. Yes! "Rare pleasure." Currently there's a Blue Jay showing up along with the Steller's -- a *first* in my 45 years here in north Idaho. It's been hanging around since January. What a treat!

[@-Dog-]

@@studiojake5253 That truly warms my heart right now! My visiting Blue Jay had shown up on about the 2nd of January and stayed over for around a little over 3 months and then moved on. I hope that you are able to get some precious reminder photos and video of your Blue Jay and Stellar's! Enjoy!

[@AStanton1966]

These birds earned my respect when I saw one strip the honey-coned nest of a paper wasp off my house one day and eat the larvae.

[@Psyfi85]

That’s brave! I’ve seen some of them go after my dog when I was younger, used to think they were shitheads for dive bombing him like that but they obviously saw him as a threat. They are really beautiful

[@ronaldrump5058]

Do you know who else earned your respect when you saw them strip the honey-coned nest of a paper wasp off your house one day and ate the larvae?

[@hwuilee]

​@@ronaldrump5058who?

[@vnette9777]

I love bluejays.I remember, how big, they got,in Maryland,when the 14 year locusts, invaded.They ate them up, and were huge.I was grateful,they were everywhere.lol.I liked learning, that their crest heights, are a sign, of their aggression.Ive seen them,in full aggression,mostly.Thankyou for a wonderful, video.👍👍👍♥️

[@earllutz2663]

Thank you for the video. I was glad to hear that Blue Jay's, are not the aggressors, best they have been made out to be.

[@Semiam1]

Blue Jays show up as a gang at my feeder. Throwing seeds everywhere causing a ruckus. Kind of funny to watch

[@BK-qp8zp]

Lesley, your blue jay videos just warm my heart - thank your for that! I have a little blue jay story for you. My oldest brother was declining in health and we knew he wouldn't live a whole lot longer, so I told him that I was going to make an absurd request so I could be pretty sure it wasn't an accident. I said I wanted to see three blue jays on my front porch after he passed. Where I live, that has never been the case. Well, it still wasn't, but I did get one blue jay feather a day on my porch three days in a row! Never happened before that nor since. He died last August, which is significant in this blue jay story, as I have never before seen a "bald" blue jay. I learned that particular molting takes place only in August. And one landed right outside my bedroom window (on a tree branch) and looked right at me. My brother was bald so I just busted out laughing. As all this was taking place, a never before seen blue jay flew right in front of my daughter at her work, landed on a small tree branch right next to her, looked right at her, squawked and flew off. She never saw another blue jay in that area before or since that time. She told me that my brother wasn't just talking to me. So blue jays are a very special treasure to me now.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Oh my gosh. This story is just too awesome. Your brother definitely was letting you know he was there. He listened to your request. Thanks for sharing this story with me :)

[@RalphPhilbrook]

Thanks for the spirit world story- very good

[@barbarat5729]

BK You made me smile and brought a tear or two to my eyes. I sit on my back steps every morning and I have had some very bizarre and heartwarming visitations I believe are from my Mother and brother. God bless.

[@HadoukanFire]

💗

[@kathywinningham9]

BK l”

[@tonysopranosduck416]

I can’t express enough how thoroughly enjoyable your videos are! They’re the right balance of ….everything! Beautiful photography, interesting knowledge presented in a casual and personal format and tidbits of trivia, humour and personal experience sprinkled in. The lovely east coast lilt and your personality are truly the essence though and what keeps me clicking on new videos. I hope you never run out of birds to chat about! Cheers to you 👑

[@1SaG]

"... they definitely have a way of capturing the attention and admiration of people." Tell me about it.... that blue is insanely pretty.

[@jkzac]

We have this in our backyard and a raccoon aswell, every night they yell "FIST PUMP" for some reason...

[@greatnovastar]

Hm! Hm! hmhm! Hm!

[@farjanaislam5593]

Oohhhhh!

[@imme2717]

Regular show?! :0

[@pry6139]

Yeayaah!

[@tonycallme3667]

Didn’t know Mordecai was this popular

[@DBT1007]

Blue color is so rare in nature. Especially on land animals. Why they have blue color in the environment that mostly brown, green, yellow, red, white, black? So yeah.. this kind of bird so popular

[@itzzida773]

Lmao

[@mauricedavis2160]

🙏👍🤣🤣🤣🐦

[@mikewysko2268]

I didn't know Blue Jays lived so long. I am always happy when a colorful bird visits our feeder. I am learning what kind of birds the different types of feed attracts.

[@CarsandCats]

They are soooo smart! I love them and visit with them every day. They come and take cat food off my porch, it's so cute. My cat gets so excited watching through the window. Then later they enjoy peanuts in the backyard. They have many different songs, and can even mimic other birds like Hawks!

[@pierrotpasquinade]

The one fact I didnt consider (or necessarily know) is how quiet they are when nesting and raising their young. It makes a lot of sense. Which will definitely help me understand their life cycle and routine when they visit my feeders. Definitely building up that trust with them and hope they continue to be regulars :)

[@grannygamerquilter]

Wow! Lovely, birds, for sure. Your video clarity and closeups are stunning! Thanks for sharing.

[@tremendousyeet3467]

The video's start: "love them or hate them." who other than an angry bubblegum machine that wants work done would hate them?

[@maruchan_3479]

“My mom!”

[@fan-mix6556]

Good show

[@farjanaislam5593]

Well better if you say a "Gumball machine".

[@scallopohare9431]

Uh, they do go after cats. Do not let a kitten out if you know they live near your house.

[@MrKruger88]

A lot of people with birdfeeders don't like them because they tend to bully smaller birds to make them go away. I think it's funny myself, but to each their own.

[@LelaE34]

They are so beautiful and very smart. They get a bad rap. People think because they are rowdy that they are bullies but they only protect their own and their territory just like any other bird. I love your video's.

[@IhaveaDoghouse]

Ya I have some and they seem to let the red breasted nuthatches and other smaller birds feed as long as I keep it stocked

[@LelaE34]

@@IhaveaDoghouse I have all kinds of birds and they really all seem to share equally.

[@Fritaly]

Lela Eber I was pleasantly surprised to find no territorial fighting when I was feeding a dozen species. Only the juvenile starlings got a bit fussy about the suet block but a couple reminders from me to be nice and share and the posturing stopped. I wish I’d had my camera back then to show the variety and say everyone took turns!

[@LelaE34]

@@Fritaly And why can't we humans get along?

[@sunspot6502]

I watch them at my feeder, and they are just bigger, the chickadees and nuthatches don't want to get run over by the big blue truck!

[@rogerguy3592]

My favorite bird. I trained a wild one years ago in my yard, and it would go after nuts when I caught its attention. Smart and beautiful Thanks for this video.

[@gettingold59]

You sure know how to brighten up a crappy nite with knowledge and great video work. Very well done miss Nerd

[@GeorgeCMcRae]

Always my favorite N. American bird! Growing up in Massachusetts, a pair nested in a cedar tree outside my bedroom window. I felt honored. Here now in California, Scrub jays fill the void, but in the visits to Mass. over the decades, the first sound of the voice of the blue jay, reminds me where my roots really are!

[@amsbestunderstanding1646]

They are so beautiful. Thank you for teaching about them. I love all the birds, but the Blue Jays & the dark Steller's Jays are so striking in colors in Oregon. No Cardinals here to bully them, 😂 I miss the Cardinals I grew up seeing in a different state, but no one can have everything. Thanks, Lesley!

[@e.paradigm7415]

I'm from the L.A. area and I've seen some Blue jays before in people's yards but are incredibly rare and especially now I haven't seen one in years. They're pretty big and are cool looking.

[@wyomingadventures]

I love the fact blue Jays aren't as aggressive as people think they are. I have always wondered about that. I have noticed blue Jays and smaller birds will stay at my feeders together. Maybe because I have many feeders out but very close together. I have been feeding a pair for the last couple months now. They always brighten my day. I wish my state had them for our state bird! We have 3 different kinds of Jays here. Thank you Leslie for another great video about blue Jays!💙🖤💙🖤🐦🥰

[@Fritaly]

307 Wyoming 4E I fed over a dozen species with everyone taking turns very nicely. The blue jays even announced when the feeders were refilled so everyone could come enjoy the bounty

[@wyomingadventures]

@@Fritaly love it!😊

[@angelacox8322]

I found this video after a Blue Jay attacked a nest of smaller birds outside my garage yesterday -- I watched as it literally stole the babies and knocked the rest to the ground -- I tried to save one of them but sadly held it as it took it's last gasp of air. I came here hoping to understand why TBH!! Maybe Mother's day coming, or the fact I was simply taking a quick break away from my desk when it happened, but I felt so bad for the birds that it disrupted. My husband says it was likely trying to scavenge for it's own babies, but I found it sad none the less....nature can be very cruel and survival of the fittest is still very real in the animal kingdom. All this to say, watching one rob a nest will definitely make you feel they are aggressive towards other birds.

[@gabrielsyt]

Always like the Blue Jay videos. I am lucky to have a family of Blue Jays in my area. They are great to watch. I feed them whole unsalted peanuts. Its fun to watch them swoop down to get the peanuts. Very pretty and graceful.

[@dannyswildlife]

Your videos are simply incredible, Lesley!! I enjoy watching them tremendously!! Thank you for sharing them with the world!!

[@xueli7998]

Blue jay is the mascot of my daughter’s university. She designed a T-shirt/polo with a blue jay logo for her school while she was taking online classes at home during the pandemic. We have blue jays in our yard. They look so beautiful when flying from tree to tree in the winter. I’m fine with all kinds of birds, even crows or buzzards. A cardinal are hatching her eggs in my rose bush next to my front door, and her husband can be seen feeding her. What a lovely and beautiful couple.

[@johnos4892]

Love hiking in my Colorado forest, one reason is the Stellar Jays always welcome me. They follow me around as well talking to me, hoping I remembered to bring peanuts in the shell.

[@floreacionn]

How beautiful, now... Where's rigby? Xd

[@weirdface3838]

Xd

[@lmaoncyaddas8131]

xd

[@bilgitz1900]

Bruh

[@bilgitz1900]

A school named Rigby was just shot up

[@mxormity]

Bruh, it’s a character from a show-

[@YoBro-np7xt]

When I feed the jays regularly, they'll fly to my feet as I approach, and fly by touching my cheek to show appreciation.

[@jojomusicsoulgranny]

YoBro awesome

[@janicekennah1824]

Thank you for the bluebird facts! I quite enjoyed it. Especially on this Memorial Day weekend. My brother, Jay’s, nickname was Baby Bluejay. He passed at the age of 41. Since his passing, bluejays have held a special place in my heart. Whenever I see one I think of Jay and tell him hello and that I love him and hope he is happy. Often when I am thinking of Jay or having a tough day something with a bluejay on it, or even a bluejay itself, shows up, letting me know all is going to be better and that he and God are very aware of me. Thank you.

[@marshasantos9220]

Thank you SO very much for this wonderful video! They are my favorite bird and our son rescued 2 them. We have videos with them standing on his finger until they recovered. Our son has passed away now at the age of 44 peacefully and the Blue Jays Bring us such beautiful memories. We even found a flag with two Blue Jays on it which we have placed next to his headstone at the cemetery and one by our front porch. God bless you!

[@jasscarffcolumbus]

That's a touching story, Marsha. I'm glad you've found that wonderful way to commemorate your son.

[@Delvareus]

Aww! I live in the north-east U.S. and I put out a feeder earlier this year. There is a blue jay who visits regularly. When he (or she) first started coming around, it was clear that he had a broken leg. In more recent visits, well, now he's just a one-legged blue jay. He seems to be coping just fine and living his life as usual. I always know when he is around the feeder because he makes that usual blue jay noise, haha. I'm sure he will be fine but I've become somewhat attached to him (or her) and wish I could somehow gain his trust and take him to a vet. :)

[@karlkelton]

Very enjoyable video. A number of years ago we heard some "abnormal" screeching in our backyard. Upon investigation, I noticed a young blue jay hooping around under one of our blue spruces. When I approached, the parents immediately started dive bombing me. I subsequently learned that they had forced the young one from the nest to enable it to get its wings. After 3 days he was flying like a trooper. I was not aware they were from the same families as crows. Thanks

[@chillytoes337]

I had two "feuding" blue jays in my backyard for a few years, and they fought like crazy, but it was mostly just verbal. They'd scream at each other back and forth for literally hours to the point that sometimes I'd have to shoo them away because it got to be so annoying LOL! Pretty but very loud! Then one year they just never came back. I don't know if I was happy about that or sad but I kind of missed the racket!

[@tomq5180]

nicely narrated, nicely filmed, nice pleasant upbeat music, informative...just nice and well done. thank you!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Many thanks!

[@starrrozmiarek3322]

I was fascinated to learn that they live to be 7-10 years old and that one was 27,wow!!! Great video, glad I found it! 🐦

[@rosemaryb-c4927]

I love this video! I'm an hour north of Toronto, and have a small, townhouse backyard, but I have made it an oasis for birds, squirrels and the wild rabbits that were displaced last summer by the cutting down of century trees and digging up the land to make a "family park" at the former tree-shrouded century-and-a-half estate of our town's founding family. My Blue Jay family (named Walter, The Missus, and Wayne Gretsky) and my Cardinal family (Cardinal Richelieu, Claudia Cardinale, and Ruby Tuesday) have been hanging around, all seasons, for going on 5 years now. The 4 paired Mourning Doves have been here 4 years, and more than 100 juncos, sparrows, chickadees, Eastern warblers, grackles, black birds, ravens, crows and starlings visit here in large groups, daily. Red robins, golden finches, the odd bluebird or Baltimore Oriole arrive in the spring. They now recognize the sound my patio door makes when I close it. The yard can be completely devoid of birds, but once I've filled the feeders and returned to the inside of the house, my two dogs and I sit on our love seat in front of the patio door, and I do the birdy-call countdown: 'Come, birdie, birdie, birdie..." and by the time I repeat it for the fifth time, the horde of birds come dive-bombing in. I don't find my Blue Jay's are particularly aggressive, as I've never really seen them harass any other birds, and lately I wonder if they can make "calls" across species. Walter BlueJay is usually the first to arrive in the morning, perching on the tallest peak of the neighbour's apple tree. He sings his song, and soon after the Cardinal family come, and are the first to partake of the unshelled peanuts and large sunflower seeds. After the Cardinals leave, and before the 10 different colored squirrels come to scarf down the remaining shelled peanuts, The Missus and Wayne Gretsky BlueJay come to fill their red bellies along with Walter. A chickadee (I wonder if it's the same one I thawed out and brought back to life a year ago?) who I call "Scout" and who is a great singer, signals to all the smaller birds that it's THEIR time to feast. The grackles and starlings, seeing the smaller birds rising from the nearby cedar bushes and swooping down into my back yard, shout out their "C'mon guys, the buffet is ready!" calls, and soon the bird chatter in the backyard is almost deafening. Not everyone in my townhouse row likes the birds. My chronically unemployed neighbour HATES birds, and he will take his teenage son's powerful, long distance water gun, and opens his patio door, and from inside the house, he will strafe the backyard with the water spray, trying to make the birds fly away. They just wait until he gets bored with hs war games, and when he shuts HIS patio door, all the birds return to Rosie's Oasis.

[@SW13333]

Rosemary - That's great you have so many different birds that feed in your yard. How did you pick names for the Blue Jays? When I open my door facing the backyard (and it's busy bird season) a Blue Jay will make a certain call and then the other Blue Jays all do the same calling from their locations to affirm their human is coming with food. I do the water gun with squirrels - helps let the birds eat. Squirrels will sit for a very long time on a feeder - eating all of the bird food. I only have grackles a certain time of year. I noticed the regular Common Grackle is being replaced with the Great Tail Grackles. I don't know if Commons + Great Tails can mix/produce offspring together. - Stephanie

[@rosemaryb-c4927]

@@SW13333 Well, I live in north central Ontario, an hour from Toronto, home of the Toronto Blue Jay's Baseball team. Canadian hockey great, Wayne Gretsky, opened up a restaurant at 99 Blue Jays Way, in the downtown area. I've always associated Gretsky with bluejays, though the only "blue" team he played on was the St. Louis Blues. Wayne's father is Walter (my dad knew him), and I always forget his wife's name, Phyllis, so I call her "the Missus". It's just all word-association, I guess, LOL!.

[@rosemaryb-c4927]

@@SW13333 I have a small wind chime hanging from the back porch light next to the patio door. This winter, I started jangling the wind chime, when I'm done filling the feeders. Usually the first to hear the chimes is a tiny chickadee I call "Scout". He is rather independent, does not hang out the with other chickadees. For the most part, I believe the birds know the "table is set", when they hear the patio door slam shut. I don't have an issue with the squirrels. There's plenty of food for all. I have ten different squirrels, in almost every color you can imagine them to be: black, silver-grey, light grey, reddish, light rust, and a handful of years ago, there was an albino squirrel who visited a few times, quite a treat! Two of the black squirrels lost their tails last year. The large, chubby one, Big Stumpy, seems to be growing back some of his tail, except that the fur on it is white. Lately, I noticed this smaller black tailless squirrel seems to be growing his/her tails back, too, also fringed in white. For a big squirrel, Big Stumpy is the most athletic of them all. He can jump up on the tallest bird bath from a starting position on the ground, whereas all the other squirrels can only access the birdbath by dropping onto it from the nearby overhanging lilac branches. I forgot to mention my 3 woodpeckers, who began arriving in the new year. There is one beautiful, large Pileated Woodpecker, very odd to see him in a suburban setting. I've only ever seen them, maybe once ever 10 years, very deep inside nearby forests. I make a special peanut butter/suet/grasshopper/dried worms cake, which he seems to enjoy greatly. I get the broken, dried grasshopper and dried worms from the reptile keeper at Petsmart, who puts the unsellable ones in a jar for me that I pick up, monthly, and incorporate the insects into the suet cakes. There is also a pair of downy woodpeckers, male and female, who come and eat after the larger woodpecker has come and gone.

[@SW13333]

@@rosemaryb-c4927 - Your yard sounds like paradise. Pileated woodpecker - lucky you! I know the Blue Jays in particular watch for me - whichever one is closest gives out the call that food is about to arrive - then the others chime in :) - Stephanie

[@rosemaryb-c4927]

@@SW13333 They DO do that, don't they! I love watching the "socialing" of birds across species, how they figure out "pecking orders".

[@jongalt9038]

Cardinals have seemed to dominate 'jays every place I have seen them in the eastern US. Maybe they do during the times when you said they keep a lower profile. Maybe because they are outnumbered then? But here in GA they make daily appearances at my feeders. Often I spy them beating a squirrel to one of the handfull of peanuts I put out with the sunflower and smaller seeds. Chickadees, Doves Cardinals, Bluejays and a little yellowish bird come but so far not my favorite- crows!!! Well, Redwing Blackbirds come too. They come in mass, they come hungry and dominate till they leave! It has drawn more to the feeders since I took your advice on different types of seed for different birds. Stay warm up there! ⛄

[@jennyd9543]

I have wondered over the years why I only see the blue jays for a time and then they seem to disappear. You explained their seasonal behaviours so now I know they are still around, just being quiet.

[@karenbankster8084]

I just wanted to say bless your soul and thank you so much for educating and reminding us about this world's beautiful creatures that we have gotten used to over looking!!! May your spirit fly high with the Birds and your soul always be carried by their wings!!! Much love, Karen

[@1biggun712]

Hi there from Georgia, I feed 5 bluejays every, morning and early evening. I also, feed a few Cardinals and the occasional, yellow Jay. I feed them and other animals such as squirrels, Chipmunks, crows, and finches. They are all fed every day from my front porch. Thanks for sharing the 10 things about bluejays. Keep on keeping on 👍👍

[@jessicablesses6091]

All the facts were so interesting, I didn't know most of them. Thank you🐦

[@richhall1808]

I like the bold, confident, aggressiveness of blue jays. When they show up they pretty much say, "when we fly in you'd best step aside".

[@elkhunter8664]

LOL. I was cooking bacon in a fry pan for breakfast while camping. A Jay landed on the edge of my pan, looked at me, then grabbed an entire slice of sizzling bacon and flew off with it. All I could do was laugh. He owned me that morning.

[@glennso47]

rich hall I saw that when a squirrel got dive bombed by a couple blue jays. Canada Geese are another bird that you can’t tell a male from a female.

[@zandozman]

​@@glennso47 At least for the "giant" Canada Goose males tend to be more alert in regards to surroundings as well as larger than the females. That's what I've observed in my area, seeing as I have some ponds nearby and there's a few "couples" that are around everyday. Seems to be the case. Otherwise it's hard to tell in passing unless the size difference is the giveaway.

[@ValerieEdwards37]

I love our jays! There’s a huge population where we live and there’s always a few around. I leave peanuts on our balcony for them and sometimes we have 5 at a time out there. They’re so animated and comical 💙

[@carlacrawford9349]

Loved the info on Bluejays. We adopted one that hsd fallen out of its nest. My Mom evenwent so far as to cook oatmeal for it. We're bothsuckers for baby animals. And I warned her not to name it because she would grow attached to. But did she listen? HE/SHEi is named Peepers, because he was so vocal. He stuck around all summer into late fall. One of God's precious gifts. Thanks again . 😊 8:18

[@swimnwfishes]

I have Jays that love my feeder and they tag team with the cardinals for the feeders. It’s quite a joy to watch them.

[@CenturianEagle]

I missed seeing a good ol blue jay video here! 😊😊

[@catyear75]

Blue jays will always be near the top of my "Favorite Birds " list ..... but I must say , that list is getting mighty long .... ;-)

[@grannysweet]

Yes!! Me too.😂👍🐶

[@AmberSoleil1]

I loved this video! Thank you for the great content. Perhaps my most favorite fact about blue jays is that they are not actually pigmented blue but are blue because of their feather’s shape on a microscopic level. This explains why their feathers are more or less blue depending on the angle you view them from. Amazing birds 💙

[@ktmoore1960]

I love Blue Jays and so glad you spoke about the misconception of them being "bully birds". I just found your channel and am really enjoying all the fun facts. Thanks so much for doing them

[@Alagboriel]

Blue Jays are by far my favourite. Other birds are just...birds. Blue jays are mother nature's masterpiece

[@Alagboriel]

ok crows are amazing too

[@angelawheeler7825]

I love blue Jay's they are so beautiful.

[@renatarobb4728]

Suprise! I saw a Blue Jay for the first time this morning and, actually, for the very first time. I heard his call - it was unfamiliar so I went outside to see this new bird. He, or she, was beautiful. Blue! I see Chickadees and Sparrows but never have seen a Blue Bird before. Unfortunately, my birdfeeder is for small birds and could not accommodate a larger bird. I had a songbird bell hanging out there too and the Jay landed on it but didn't peck at it and didn't stick around. Still, it was a thrill!

[@kellilien1736]

I really enjoyed your video. My mom (now 94) is very knowledgeable about birds. We hailed from northern Minnesota. I think I will always love wild birds, because of her. Great video.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

That is awesome! Thanks

[@dorseyfox2227]

Thank you. I love these birds.

[@YvonneSebastian1980]

Ohh I love my blue jays.. I think there are 3 pairs that come to steal peanuts from the squirrels.. such a delight to watch them.. but I have not seen them much this week.. thanks for sharing.. again love your videos ❤️

[@warhorse1956]

I had a blue jay (in Florida) come to my feeders a while back, but the cardinals ran him/her off. A real shame, I was so happy to see one here. Oh well, I still have my family of crows that I feed every morning... noisy buggers that they are. P.S., my chickadees are returning too. :)

[@user-hg2kd1nz4l]

Blue Jay and crows eat the young babies of other birds

[@junkyarddawgs9956]

They are the sounding alarm for the woods, especially when a predator is near like a hawk or owl!!! Even humans!!!!

[@malehuman]

If the Jays suddenly start making a fuss, chances are there is a snake in the middle of where they are. Saved me more than once.

[@ronaldcammarata3422]

The Blue Jay song is one of the sounds of my childhood (Mid-Hudson Valley, NY).

[@Jennifer-w6g]

Your relationship to this birds is so long and special, amazing! I liked learning they are monomorphic, cool fact!

[@davidhunternyc1]

I saw something remarkable today. I live in NYC, in a third floor apartment with a fire escape that looks out onto a park. I have a few bird feeders hanging from my fire escape and I had my windows open to let in some fresh air. I glanced outside and literally three feet in front of my window, directly over my fire escape is where it happened. Two blue jays were tumbling like wagon wheels in the air. Over and under. Over and under. I've never seen a blue jay fly upside down but here they were. At the center of this vortex was a beautiful red cardinal, seemingly spinning vertically in place, surrounded by the two blue jays. The saturated blues. That red. The movement. No artist could have imagined anything so beautiful. All three birds were tangled in air. Were they playing? Fighting? A moment later all three birds landed on my fire escape railing, calmly resting. They seemed to know each other and were not antagonized. A few moments later they flew off. The last few years I've been feeding blue jays peanuts from my fire escape but, during this time, I've only seen a couple of cardinals. Apparently they shy away from buildings and glass. Cardinals feed in the early morning and dusk hours so why did this encounter happen? Oh my, it took my breath away. I had a brief moment with God.

[@tylerwinkle323]

Maybe it is an adaptation to living in cities, not too many trees to play around in perhaps. Generally speaking, Cardinals and Jays get along but there is absolutely a pecking order. It is unusual for any observed physical contact to be friendly between Jays and Cardinals, or intraspecies for that matter.

[@candiejo3869]

They are so beautiful. 💙💙 I wish Ohio would have them as the state bird. I love seeing mine at the feeder. 💙

[@munozinni]

Hola Leslie... I always tought blue jays were the estate of Texas’s bird but I was wrong the official bird of the estate of Texas is the mocking bird... both have made nests on our back yard trees...thank you Leslie for sharing your amazing videos... I will be checking for more videos with the notification bell on😃have a great day

[@EbonyEnnis-ck9sd]

Why are you calling Texas, Aborigine Land, an Estate??? Weird.

[@luminyam6145]

They are incredibly beautiful birds, I really love their colouring. I am so glad PEI has them as their Provincial bird.

[@pasqualebuccilli1799]

Thank you for your videos!! i just got a bird feeder in my backyard and now I am fascinated by them. I really enjoyed learning their origins and how long they have been around. I now have a new level of respect for them!! THank you again!

[@sebastiansethd.lastimosa6610]

another fun fact about him: hes about to get fired

[@Jccgrg]

The fact that they are 12" long and capable of liveing 20+

[@Silver-nm2if]

i love how most people in the comments reference regular show

[@rileybobbert6527]

i fucking hate it

[@Joey-rs7uq]

I was reading comments about gumballs/fist-pumping and was so confused. Thanks for reminding me about the show!

[@ismaelmeza3220]

@@rileybobbert6527 TAKE THAT BACK OR YOU'RE FIRED!!

[@rileybobbert6527]

@@ismaelmeza3220 i h8 u 2

[@bombomos]

Its kinda annoying

[@robertborden4644]

Love your commentary. Also your Canadian accent. I visited Nfld when I was twelve and my sister worked at the hospital in St Anthony. What adventures we had!!! Thanks for these videos. Catherine from VT.

[@jeannelevrier4249]

Thank you very much for this interesting and informative video. I enjoyed learning so much about the beautiful blue jay. I truly appreciate it. Glorious birds.

[@tawnteens]

I loved learning that they are not really all that bad and bullying at the bird feeder in winter months. I had a feeling this was true. Chickadees always seem to come back after the Jays have had a bite. It’s really the squirrels that can eat way more than their fill. We have cute red squirrels in Vermont

[@lilcs3011]

I love my Jays I have a few regulars at my feeders here in Florida.

[@jessicayoung575]

Homeschoolers here!!! We have added a bird a week to our curriculum and have been watching your videos! Thank you, we love them!

[@argerinejordan4703]

I have 2 of them that come to my patio every day to get bread. One will come and eat and take some to his mate. Last year, they brought their baby over for me to see. They are very smart.☺☺❤❤❤

[@everybodysgramma5657]

The blue jays know where I sleep. If I don’t wake up early enough for them they peck at the window to wake me up to feed them. I use sinew to make trellis in my garden. Somehow, every spring, they untie every knot in the trellis and take the entire string to their nests. It is insanely hard to untie sinew. They are at my feeder all year long. Even more in the winter I think. Less competition. They prefer raw peanuts to roasted, and anything they don’t like in the bird mix they throw out of their way LOL 😂

[@sarahd3980]

Interesting. thanks

[@mcdc59]

When my husband was a little kid he wore a cap with a racoon tail on it. One day- A blue jay dived down and attacked the hat. For years my husband was nervous around all birds but he especially was very wary of blue jays.

[@texastea5686]

😂 cute story

[@CANControlGRAFFITI]

Serves him right. What did the poor raccoon do to deserve such a humiliating death?

[@jowlorenz9555]

@@CANControlGRAFFITI Right On !

[@texastea5686]

@@CANControlGRAFFITI oh my God... How do you even know it was from a real raccoon? Or you don't know if he grew up in parts of the US where they hunted squirrel or rabbit or raccoon for meals. Geez calm down, dont get your panties in a bunch.

[@mcdc59]

@@CANControlGRAFFITI Thank you for your concern for animals. Back in the day most kids wore a coonskin cap to be like Daniel Boone ("Daniel Boone was a man. Yes a big man-= From the coonskin cap on the top of ol Dan to the heel of his rawhide shoe"..) Bless your heart- If the caps weren't faux fur- real raccoons would be extinct in the states by now. It was fake fur.

[@atrinka1]

I love blue jays! They have fun here in NE Tennessee. Another fun fact: in Venezuela, the blue jays are called azulejos (Azul is blue in Spanish)! thanks for these lovely, fun and educative videos!

[@cathyhendrix7552]

I happen to think that Blue Jays are the most beautiful bird ever. Thank you for this informative video. I enjoyed learning about them.

[@SoCal780]

Didn’t know they were related to crows, interesting! I love Blue Jays, they are so beautiful. They come to our back patio and eat the peanuts we set out for the squirrels, they love them. I affectionately call them “the Squawkers” for obvious reasons. One time a group of young ones came by and I kept saying “pretty boy” to one of them and he sort of flared out his wings to me in appreciation. So cute.

[@curious420]

I remember a beautiful image from last December that has stayed with me...a flock of bright red male cardinal finches hopping on the snow covered lawn. It was such a pretty sight - like something from a Christmas card. This year, I have noticed that there is not much wildlife around where I live! No squirrels, rabbits or birds that have been a mainstay of every suburban backyard in New York state. Think of the prints left in the snow by a scurrying squirrel. The only creature I saw recently was a furry rat or something similar (couldn't get a good look). Nothing like bird-watching to help you pass the long winter hours. I am an animal lover and even though I don't have any pets, I used to leave out scraps of vegetables and grains for the rabbits and birds. It was fun. When I first got here, I noticed that the birds were not at all the same as the ones commonly seen in my native India. Since I hadn't made any friends, I couldn't ask anyone about them. So, I tried to find out the names of the various birds by googling their description. That's how I came to identify the common grackle, the American robin, the red-bellied woodpecker and of course the cardinal finch. The remarkable thing about cardinal finches is that the males and females look so different (unlike blue jays), so much so that I realized they are the same species only when I saw a pair making out on a branch! I did read somewhere that the electromagnetic waves emitted by the towers installed by various cellphone operators disrupts the natural behavior of birds. However, admittedly, I don't leave the house much these days - I like to think that the birds are all still there; it's just that I don't see them. Update: I spotted an American robin today. So they are alright!