Things you need to know about JAYS!

The most colourful member of the crow family, Jays are becoming a more common sight in parks and gardens. With their bright blue wing patches, orange colour and lively personalities, they are just like their corvid cousins and extremely intelligent and cunning. In this video you will find out lots of facts about them including what they eat, where they nest, what their eggs look like, what noise jays make and much more.
Here is the script I wrote and used:
Jays are arguably our most colourful and exotic looking member of the crow family. They're found across most of the UK except northern Scotland but also Europe, north west Africa, and across central Asia as far east as Japan. There are 33 recognised subspecies, each with their slightly different marking although all of them are orangey brown over most of their bodies and have a striking blue patch on each wing. The variant found in the UK also has a black and white patch at the end of each wing, a black and white tail, a black moustache and beak a white rump and a lighter faintly striped crown. They have a wingspan of 52 to 58 cm and grow to around 160 grams in weight. That’s 21 to 22 inches and five and a half ounces if you prefer.
Traditionally Jays were found in mature deciduous woodlands but they are gradually becoming more common visitors of parks and gardens. Just like other members of the crow family Jays are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on everything from acorns, seeds, nuts and fruits to insects, small mammals, eggs, young birds and they’ll even eat hibernating bats. During the autumn they sometimes cache food for in case supplies get low in the winter.
Jays usually start breeding from 2 years of age when a pair will form in early spring. They then claim and defend a territory where they build a nest, usually 3 to five metres from the ground in the fork of a tree or sometimes amongst ivy. This is a rough platform of twigs topped with thinner sticks and leaves to form a cup. Once complete the female will lay between 4 and 6 speckled olive eggs that measure just over 3 cm in length. The female alone will incubate them for 16 to 19 days whilst the male stays nearby defending the territory and nest. Once they’ve hatched both parents feed the chicks in the nest until when they are around 3 weeks old. At this point the young look like smaller versions of their parents but with shorter tails and wing feathers and they are ready to fledge. Their parents continue to feed them for a further 3 to 5 weeks whilst they learn to find food and fend for themselves after which, the young birds move away from the nesting territory. Jays will only nest once per year and after a pair is formed they will often stay together for life.
Jays have their own call which sounds like but they are also really good mimics of other birds and man made noises. I once saw one mimicking a jackhammer whilst trying to intimidate a carrion crow and it seems they are smart enough to imitate things that represent danger, like this one mimicking a cat. Over most of the UK they are resident all year round but some birds in Scotland do move south for the winter and sometimes migrants from northern Europe are recorded in England throughout the colder months. Their breeding populations here are fairly stable at around 130,000 pairs and they have an average life expectancy of between 2 and 3 years. Although one wild bird survived to 16 years, 9 months and 19 days of age.
Some of the footage and images used in this video are under creative commons licences. The originals and their licence details can be found at:
• Un Garrulus glandarius...
• Eurasian jay Feeding Y...
• Szajkó // Eurasian Jay...
• Сойка мяука МНОГО / J...
• Eurasian Jays in there...
• Eurasian Jay / (Vlaams...
• Eurasian Jay Destroys ...
• Sojka obecná - Eurasia...
• Pasknäär (Garrulus gla...
• Sojka obecná - Eurasia...
• Szajkó // Eurasian Jay...
• Сойка / Eurasian Jay /...
• Szajkó // Eurasian Jay...
• Eichelhäher im Frühlin...
• Garrulus glandarius pe...
• An elusive Jay
• Jay in our garden, wil...
• Eichelhäher in Buche -...
• Sojka obecná - Eurasia...
• Garrulus glandarius dr...
• Geai des chênes (Garr...
• Hä? Kaum noch Erdnüsse...
• El nido del Arrendajo
• vlaamse gaai
• Возвращение блудных со...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Thumbnail image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

[@Spitalhatch]

My grandparents had a pet jay that could 'talk' as clearly as a human, even imitating my Nana humming to herself while she did the housework. It was a useful security device: the cottage was isolated and Nana was alone for much of the time. Anyone knocking at the door would hear the jay chattering away in the next room and assume that there were others in the house.

[@cosmosDiv]

lemme guess still nun happened til tis day

[@startheangel9760]

You always hear Jays before you spot one

[@joefromravenna]

Thats true of our North American Blue Jay as well.

[@danvenables4935]

Had a Jay visit my garden about 6 months ago for a few visits but then vanished. Wasn't sure I'd see one again, then suddenly a few days ago we had not one but two squabbling with a woodpecker over our fat block feeder! I threw out a few mealworms and peanuts and the pair have been visiting every morning since then :) It's cool having a bird visit my garden that I've never seen anywhere else!

[@dawnrowlands2408]

I've got a pair that visit my garden, they are so so shy though, they love the mealworms I put out, love your videos.

[@meanwhilemothernature7341]

Fabulous looking birds!

[@ishygomes786]

Just saw one this morning this video has confirmed what I saw. Beautiful bird

[@mazoomska]

Superb content as always Liam! Love the addition of the bird calls!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@82raptor]

Here in the U.S. we have blue jays and they are awesome. Our jays can mimic a red tailed hawk to scare rodents away.

[@jmar3956]

Awesome!!! I run a corvids rescue and this was great! Can you do one on the rook? I currently have two rooks in my care they are so smart and loving

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Rooks are on my list and I've been gathering footage so hopefully I'll be able to get a rook video together in the next 4 to 5 weeks :) cheers, I'm really glad you enjoyed the video.

[@renatab8293]

Crow family are just rockstars!

[@Spacey7]

They are beautiful & quite large birds. Love seeing them 😍

[@dexocube]

Saw one the other day, flew right past me.

[@RMatra]

Very similar to the jays in America. In Northern California we have the Scrub Jay and the Stellar Jay.

[@hankschrader2906]

Nice in Italy we have the eurasian Jay

[@jamescox8762]

love you Liam

[@davidgibbon7911]

Brilliant 👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers!

[@skeelo69]

Another great Video Liam .... i saw something very unusual ..... i heard a loud squawking noise and to my astonishment saw two Magpies pinning a Jay by its wings, the Jay was on it's back and struggling to get free, the Magpies started pecking at the soft belly of the Jay, feathers were starting to be removed... i just could not let it happen, i shouted and the Jay was able to free itself and fly off... the Magpies followed but the Jay was gone.

[@ERGORSE]

Beautiful bird, crows mimicking other sounds. Once while in the quieter part of Loch Lomond out of reach & totally chilling in solitude & nature I was startled out of my reverie by a mobile phone ringing. 😩All was well it was a carrion crow. I’m sure it smiled at me.😀

[@lisawilliams7836]

What a Treat on Sunday morning with my coffee! As ever lovely video. Thank you very much 😊

[@Tom-zq7lu]

Ok, VERY VERY BEST ok thank 🤗👍🌟🌟👈

[@studas2011]

Cheers mate, was waiting for a vid on Jays. I like these birds, it's cool how they dive down from the trees to collect a nut or something when they think you aren't looking.

[@Sophia-uc9qh]

Absolutely love your videos! Thank you for making them, I learn stuff all the time from you, its so great!

[@marinacherian2755]

Wow super cool ❤

[@johncarlo7395]

Another very good informative video, thank you

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you.

[@davidsprivate5609]

Fantastic!

[@markymark3075]

Thanks!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers

[@Compo67]

Thanks for another great video Liam. Beautiful birds, we have them in the area. Very cautious birds but clever. One of my favourites☺️👍❤

[@kennetholiver954]

I do enjoy your videos.👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks!

[@jonathanadams7607]

I love these videos, We have most of these birds visit our garden, as we live close to the country side. We set up our bird corner in the garden 3 years ago, and the joy it has brought us watching these amazing animals, has been priceless! Keep the videos coming please! You’re doing a great job!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks Jonathan. I'm glad you are enjoying these videos and getting to see the subjects in real life as well. Lots more videos to come. Cheers

[@ryanm9838]

16 years nine months and 19 years of age lol. Love the videos, keep them up 😎

[@jungseontv]

Good video my friend Have a happy weekend

[@hankschrader2906]

Nice video i love eurasian jays

[@klaasdeboer8106]

Nice work your channel! Greetings from the Netherlands, most species you speak about live allso over here.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Welcome. I'm glad these videos will be useful to you as well.

[@paulinephillips8305]

I learnt a lot from this video, not least that they can imitate cats! Incredible. Thanks for your videos Liam, really informative 😊

[@marianeal3164]

Thank you🐥🤗

[@dreghorn007]

I was hiking at night in scotland and i heard one, sounded like a demon :)

[@shanestewart4905]

In my experience all Jays cache acorns, they seem to concentrate solely on this food source in the autumn.

[@victoriahouse9969]

Another thing you may not know is, (ive seen) a group of males displaying to the females and while calling to them. The white feathers on their heads raise up like the ones on Waxwings. I saw them do this 6 years ago today. In a park. I was looking for Waxwings. But ended up with Jay's instead.

[@berthendrikx]

Mooie video van deze mooie vogel. Minpunt is, dat hij in onze tuinen samen met de ekster bijna alle eieren en jonge vogels op eet. Best regards Bert.

[@spiritoftheforest6204]

I see Jays and Magpies outside my window...lovely birds.

[@empireempire3545]

I wish someone could record the Jay's beautiful mating song!

[@jaydee2982]

Hi mate great vid as always, think there is a slight mistake at the end when you say years instead of days

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers mate. Well spotted. Because I wrote the scripts sometimes I stumble and that must've been the case this time and I didn't notice.

[@JamesLeekiwiglider]

Superb. Thank you.

[@auroraborealis2442]

Great video, thank you.

[@keithedmunds7536]

exellent video thanks for sharing

[@christinalucas246]

I'm enjoying your videos. I would love to see one on Kingfishers ❤

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I have some good news, I have done one on kingfishers which you can find by typing in the name of this video but adding kingfisher :)

[@christinalucas246]

@@AShotOfWildlife read more

[@christinalucas246]

@@AShotOfWildlife and more

[@christinalucas246]

@@AShotOfWildlife kingfisher

[@christinalucas246]

@@AShotOfWildlife Kingfishers

[@adrianjones8347]

Nice

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks

[@34outdoor]

Greetings from The Netherlands! Really like your bitesize videos Liam!

[@madeleinel6089]

Saw my first Jay, along with my first Green Woodpecker on Wimbledon Common, both beautiful birds❣️

[@Fred-rj3er]

Loving your vids mate. Keep on keeping on. More bird calls perhaps? There is one very distinctive call that I heard for a couple of weeks just over a month ago and I would love to know what it was. Sort of a whistle starting low and rising in pitch. Stop then repeat. Yeah, I know. That's useless lol. Anyway keep on with the vids.

[@jayleigh4642]

Ummmm yeah it’s true you always hear Jay’s before you see them 😂😂😂😂 I couldn’t resist 😂😂😂

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Hahaha, are you also good at mimicking cats?

[@jayleigh4642]

@@AShotOfWildlife can you not hear me puuuuuurring 😂😂😂

[@tinaosborne6837]

My favourite British bird, bloody elusive tho

[@AShotOfWildlife]

They seem to be becoming more common so you might be lucky enough to see them more frequently soon

[@AlexCMoro81]

❤❤❤

[@tom13king]

I once heard an awful, loud scraping sound in my neighbourhood and didn’t know what it was. I thought it might have been a dying magpie or something. Months later I found out it was a jay.

[@fionakissock1871]

We have just had a visit from an Eurasian Jay in our garden. We were surprised as we have never seen one appear before in our garden. Are they common in West Norfolk? Such a beautiful bird.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Hi Fiona. Great job on spotting one in your garden today. Their numbers seem to be increasing across Norfolk, I see them daily in norwich. They are quite habitual so if you keep a close eye on your garden at around the same time tomorrow you might see it again. Cheers.

[@fionakissock1871]

@@AShotOfWildlife That’s brilliant news, thank you for getting back to me. I really appreciate that. I shall be looking out for the Jay tomorrow. He seemed to be quite partial to the fat balls.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

@@fionakissock1871 oh, if you have food out then it's even more likely to come back. Fingers crossed 🤞

[@fionakissock1871]

@@AShotOfWildlife We put food out for the birds all year round. We think it’s important to keep them fed. But we especially put out more in the winter. In the summer the birds eat all the cherries. I do hope the Jay comes back tomorrow thank you I shall keep my fingers crossed 🤞

[@mohamedabdelkader8665]

Qwesome.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks

[@chadgun4135]

Great information 👍

[@raymondpenalver7095]

I always learn something new from your great informative videos !

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers. I'm glad to hear it.

[@SmallerLives]

I just found your channel and this sort of content is what the internet should be all about! You are fantastic, and I've loved every video so far. Looking at a Jay (although this applies to virtually every bird and animal) it is beyond me how evolution can 'just so happened' to have made them so spectacularly beautiful.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you so much and welcome to the channel! I hope you have found lots of videos that you enjoy here.

[@angr3819]

Thank you. Very beautiful birds.

[@roxanneaspogard1327]

Yep, we love Jays, they come to our Balcony sometimes, I have seen up to 10 on one tree during a late Autumn day a few years back, I am not sure, but maybe they were getting ready to fly away together somewhere.....Crows are sooooo clever and mysterious. We have many here in Stockholm, Sweden. Greetings from Scandi land.

[@tswizzle4eva578]

I first saw a glimpse of a jay during lockdown, and have never seen one properly. But yesterday I was in Kew Gardens and saw one super close up out in the open on a branch, and it was so exciting to see!

[@charlieshaw1500]

OK. Ow I'm going to grab my binoculars are go looking for Jay's, I'm not sure I've seen a wild one but I'm pretty sure they have Jay's at Bird World.

[@toxicholygrenadethg9906]

I could be wrong, but while they would be seen across the UK, within Northern Ireland where I live, there doesn't seem to be that many, and I can say the same for Common Ravens. I saw one Raven last week in Peatlands, and that's just the first time I've saw one in person. But how come there aren't that many about Liam?

[@Rdr2449]

Great video

[@Bertil_Lundin]

Thanks for the Jays facts Liam! have agreat week! // Bertil.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks Bertil, have a good week!

[@morticiaaddams9777]

Lovely video! Jays always seem to be around when I'm out in the woods, I love them!

[@lisajames3359]

Jays are beautiful… I discovered one very recently that I think was fledgling that had sadly died. Such a pretty bird.

[@CamillaI]

Love Jays some amazing facts as ever on a Shot of Wildlife ! 👍😍

[@SkylarkFields]

Fascinating facts, thank you! They certainly give themselves away with that harsh call of theirs, although if I hear one I don't always get to see it!

[@NaturallyCuriousUK]

Handsome birds! They're one of two species I most commonly get asked about by "muggles". The other being the Pied Wagtail. Keep 'em coming Liam. All good stuff mate 👍🙂👍

[@TheNatureNurturer668]

Ive watched every video on your channel and i have learnt so much so thank you, if you could would u do a video on the swallow please i seen one today but they are very fast i managed to get a photo not a very good one i would love to learn more about them, many thanks love your channel keep up the great work

[@ethernat]

You said 16 years and 19 years in the same sentence - live the videos though well done

[@blxtothis]

The pair that visit our garden quickly worked out how to steal mealworms from the covered Robin Feeder, now the other large birds give it a go, not always very successfully, though the Starlings cottoned on quickly that they could cling to the bowl and get their necks under the dome.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

That's brilliant. They are super smart!

[@473gamey]

We have blue jays in the US

[@mirahsamiyahrajwan7903]

They are so beautiful. I see one of them , here in Israel, in a wood, and in town and one and, here and there, and two of them, here close to my block of flats. They always hide between leavs and on top of trees. I am always glad to see them.

[@paulohara1502]

👍👍👍👌

[@MrMangoman48]

We have lots of this birds in South Europe countries

[@hankschrader2906]

I live in Italy i see those birds every time

[@raphlvlogs271]

corvids can develop complex languages due to their ability to mimic various sounds

[@rodkinslow6360]

Hi Liam. Great video with a wealth of information. Do you know if there are any difference in markings to tell a male from a female.

[@barrowwraith1687]

Always a joy to see these birds, the most I have seen together in one place was 6 early one morning at our garden pond. They are noted as being timid, but have to ask do others feel that they are becoming bolder as I have recently seen one in a local town, chattering at the traffic from its perch in a tree at the roadside.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I have to agree, I think they're becoming more urbanised and bolder around people.

[@barrowwraith1687]

@@AShotOfWildlife As a follow up the ones I have seen recently are very colourful could these be protective males?

[@christinecurran1210]

I'm 54yrs old. I'd never seen a Jay until I was in my late 30's when I was walking through the cemetery with a friend one morning. I remember thinking what is that?! And how lovely it was. I got home and looked it up in a little bird book I had. Never saw any again until in the past 5yrs , I'll get glimpses of one flying through the trees in my local park, because I now know what to look out for. But this year, now in February, there is one that is visiting my neighbours garden backing on to mine. She has always puts lots of seed out for the birds. We've always had a squirrel, sometimes two, so I wonder if it's looking for the acorns they bury 🤷 I've learned from this video that they are of the crow family and also amazingly that they can mimick!....a cat! 😂. I have a cat so I don't encourage the birds into my garden with food as he does hunt them sadly. He seems to go for pigeons though (not wood pigeons). Sorry long answer 🤦😅...I could of just said yes they must be very shy and yes they must be getting bolder!

[@geoanggfr]

If I may say..I think jays are becoming more common around people..around the 1950s/ 60 period magpies were local and uncommon near built up areas…as we all know they have adapted to being very common throughout central Scotland….I do believe the same phenomenon is now beginning to happen with jays…

[@angeldollheart]

never seen a jay in person but i would love to spot one someday!

Does that life expectancy take into account all the chicks and juveniles that die before reaching maturity?

[@davidbate3453]

We have plenty of jays in sutherland

[@raijinenel3116]

you'd be a good pub buddy

[@user-hf6vy8xc4i]

It would be awesome to see a goldfinch version

[@kostantismp3704]

i have 4 since they were babies

[@joetodd7944]

I heard one make a noise like a car alarm

[@neilcarey2535]

Bit of a love/hate relationship with them at the moment as for the past five years they've stripped our apple trees completely. Don't mind sharing but they are well greedy. The last two days the local gang are squawking above our heads.

[@hannehansen7214]

Great video - again. Thanks. I have a wish. Could you please include the latin name somewhere in the description in your videos? I google after watching your videos, to find out if they live here in Denmark, but im not certain that the danish skovskade / Garrulus glandarius are the same? And google translate is no help. Ive had this problem before, when watching wildlife videos. Thanks again for making really great videos. Much appreciated.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I certainly can try to do that for you. I the species in this video is garrulus glandarius and I think they are in Denmark. You may notice slight differences in appearance though as I would expect the subspecies there is different to the one found in the UK.

[@hannehansen7214]

@@AShotOfWildlife Thanks a lot! So it is the same, or almost. I thought the eggs looked slightly different. Looking forward to more videos.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

@@hannehansen7214 yes, it's pretty much the same. I don't know I'd the eggs vary between subspecies but that is entirely possible. I will look it up. Many thanks

[@joeharthill-ginn3145]

Saw a jay today gorgeous bird although I spooked it off unfortunately

[@RinkelJeroen]

How is it possible some individual birds get so extremely old, compared to average? I read something similar about kingfishers. Is this common with birds? Do most birds die of other causes than a natural old age?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Yes, unfortunately the cause of most bird deaths are not old age- Predation, starvation, accidents etc. Its the same with every species I have done a fact file about, the average age is far less than the potential lifespan and its not just true for birds, fish and mammals have the same pattern.

[@zetectic7968]

Surely they have to live to 3 at least if they don't start breeding until 2, otherwise they would only ever have 1 brood?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

It's an average, so say 25% die at 1, then 25% could also die at 3 although it is of course more varied than that. I expect a lot of them die young so those that survive go for 4, 5 or 6 years.

[@gingerninjawhinger9986]

Jays are beautiful birds close up; I love watching the couple that we have up at my local wood. Not only are they extremely intelligent, but they can also be extremely noisy, adding to the cacophony of calls from other birds such as magpies; crows; woodpeckers (greater spotted, I think) and the various tits. I am totally at peace and at one with Nature when I'm up there.

[@andyskelton7223]

Thanks for this, love seeing Jays but they are jittery & don’t like being seen.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks. In my area they definitely seem to be becoming less afraid and I'm seeing them more often now.

[@bramstayer]

You dont include BlueJays?

[@davidlloyd3116]

Will Jays ever eat carrion?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Yes, they'll definitely beat carrion. I wish I had included that in the list fir their diet.

[@davidlloyd3116]

@@AShotOfWildlife I kind of thought so as they are Corvids. Can you do a piece on the Red Kite, and the Little Egret please? We have them here in Buckinghamshire

[@AShotOfWildlife]

@@davidlloyd3116 sure, both are on my list for future videos. I just need to get some more footage together and get to work. Cheers

[@davidlloyd3116]

@@AShotOfWildlife Oh that would be wonderful. I have lots of photos of slow worms if you want an article on that. There's loads in my back garden!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Hi David, Thanks for your kind offer of slow worm images. Do you mean videos or photographs? I have just uploaded a red kite video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nne6eXeGfJt-nbs Enjoy!

[@shitzuation]

😚 🎶🎵🎶🎵…

[@lmj2783]

Are you a SAB ?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

No. Why do you ask?

[@Birdwing7676]

If they sexually mature at 2, and die around 2-3, they only have one brood in their life time?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

On average yes. But as they have 4 to 6 young, if 2 of them survive to breeding age, the population will stay steady.

[@natureclips5849]

Shaun Dyche bird

[@natureclips5849]

Even sounds like him

[@AnimalArtbyTerraCotta]

I didn't realize jays were mimicks too. I've heard some strange noises from them but, lol, never a cat! 👍