This king of the Jay Birds never fails to wow beginning bird watchers. Its assured
demeanour and regal size are truly wonderful. The Stellar's Jay is the only western
jay with a crested head. It lays three to five green spotted eggs in a bowl made of
stems set in a conifer. The Stellar's Jay is a bird which has adapted remarkably well
to human encroachment, and they are particularly at home in forest campsites. Sitting
in the branches of a tree, they await their chance to partake of any fallen scraps.
Though very silent when near their nest site, Stellar's Jays have a very distinct
metallic voice. If you are new to birding, you may believe you are hearing a man-made
sound rather than a bird call. A glimpse of this majestic bird through bird watching
binoculars may reveal to you that Stellar's Jays have widely varying forehead
markings.
Scrub Jays are familiar friends in any suburban garden or park. While they
do have a very harsh voice and can be quite territorial, they are an interesting
species to observe. Showing keen intelligence as they hop about on lawns
or in hedges in small family groups, scrub jays will constantly chatter with
one another in their search for seeds and insects. One of their favorite
foods is walnuts, and they will bury many of them to retrieve later on. Scrub
Jays are also caring parents, and we've been fortunate enough to observe
a nest of scrub jays in our own backyard and have watched how the parents
raise and nurture their young, eventually teaching them how to fly and
forage for food.
Other members of this family of birds include Grey Jays on the east coast,
and Green Jays at the very southernmost tip of Texas and New Mexico. While
Grey Jays are soft white and grey, the Green Jay is a most extraordinary
bird. All green with a blue head and black throat, the Green Jay looks
like a bird that could be found in the South American rainforest.
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