Last Updated on January 15, 2022 by Guillermina
Blue Jays Predators – now that’s a search query you don’t see too often. But, if you want to keep your backyard avifauna safe, we can help!
Have you ever seen a Blue Jay? Well, these incredibly beautiful birds have bright blue on the top of their heads and whitish gray bellies and chins. And, never would you think that these gorgeous creatures can do anything remotely barbaric. But, you’d be in for a surprise.
You see, Blue Jay are messy eaters, clever enough to fool even your kitties, very loud and exceedingly vocal birds. Not to mention, they may seem delicate by their looks, but many avid bird watchers refer to Blue Jays as the ‘bully’ of the garden.
You see, Blue Jay happily preys upon other birds’ nests, caching food they don’t even want to eat and scaring their predators. Thus, it becomes impossible to see Blue Jays any other way.
And, though Blue Jays aren’t known for being the ‘quiet’ type, there’s no denying that Nature has everyone settled somewhere on the food chain. So, the Blue Jays are no exception, and you will see several predatory birds that love to talon into a juicy Blue Jay.
So, without further ado, let’s get to discussing the kind of bird Blue Jays are, and let’s talk of Blue Jays predators.
Table of Contents
What Kind Of Birds Are Blue Jays?
Blue Jays are native to the Nearctic regions. It’s common to find Blue Jays in Southern Canada and the United States, mainly east of the Rocky Mountains. Blue Jays form long-lasting bonds and keep to a single mate until the partner dies.
The most impressive feat of Blue Jays is that it will even mimic the call of raptors. They do these impersonations to discover a hawk or other predatory bird in the vicinity. And, sometimes Blue Jays copy the sound of red-shouldered hawks simply to scare off smaller birds away from the limited food sources.
Blue Jays are nothing if not a determined lot as they will venture to attack an owl’s nest during the daytime to break the nest apart. The reason for such a charge is to discourage the owl from taking permanent residence close to its own nest.
Another extraordinary deed is that Blue Jays are brave enough to take on the wrath of humans. It does not shy away from being aggressive to humans that dare to come close to its nest during the nesting season.
Usually, Blue Jays are contentious, but many medium-sized birds such as scrub jays and red-headed woodpeckers quickly shoo away Blue Jays. And, just as Blue Jays find food sources from many different avenues, there are many predators of Blue Jays.
Are Blue Jays Predators Too And What Do They Eat?
And, when it comes to the diet of these raucous winged animals, they’ll have any number of things from meat protein to vegetables, fruits, seeds, suet, berries, nuts, grains, other bird’s eggs, and nestlings. These birds are omnivores, and blue Jays even cache food away at times to prevent other birds from flocking around their neighborhood.
Blue Jays also munch on insects, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, and others such as mealworms. They even eat spiders, snails, small rodents, frogs, and carrion. So while Blue Jays will eat meat to survive – they’re not big on hunting animals, even small ones.
What Animal Eats Blue Jays
As mentioned earlier, these birds have a reputation for being the ‘hooligans’ of the backyard. But, Blue Jays are just as vulnerable to predators as any other prey. So, there are, in fact, many Blue Jays predators. You see, many predators attack Blue Jay nests to feast on Jay eggs and young up to their fledgling stage. Squirrels, snakes, cats, raccoons, and opossums all prey on Blue Jays.
But, you may wonder if large-sized birds attack or prey on Blue Jays, and you might ask, ‘do hawks eat Blue Jays?’ In truth, many large or medium-sized predatory birds attack these loud passerine birds.
Blue Jays are slow fliers (35 – 40 km/h or 20-25 mph), with their head and tails held level. So, Blue Jays become easy prey for hawks and owls when flying in open spaces. Many bird enthusiasts believe that most raptorial birds found in areas similar to Blue Jays attack Blue Jays.
Despite its reputation for disruptive behavior, Blue Jays can do much good in its unique way. You see, when predatory birds are seen in the neighborhood of Blue Jays, these birds create quite a din. It is also known to give an alarm call when it sees a hawk or other dangers nearby. Now, many of the smaller birds are well-aware of this alarm call and take advantage to flee to safety.
So, as complex as a Blue Jay maybe for the tiny birds of the neighborhood, many redeeming qualities make Blue Jays exceptional. And you may think that these birds are nothing but brawn with a bit of an ego problem, but Blue Jays are intelligent creatures.
Read more about Types Of Hawks In Colorado 2021 – 4 Spectacular Species
Conclusion
Sometimes it is beyond human intelligence to accept how certain animals or even birds behave. You see, it’s standard for people to think of birds as delicate and beautiful or predatory and intelligent.
But, a Blue Jay simply doesn’t fit into the clearly defined descriptions humans have for birds. It is a passerine bird, so you must understand that it does have superior brainpower, it is quite a beautiful bird, but it is no songbird. It screeches, croaks, and even mimics an eagle or challenges a much larger predator head-on with unparalleled audacity.
Yet, even the Blue Jay has its limitations. So, when you ask about Blue Jays Predators, you come up with an equally long list of predatory birds with unparalleled killer instincts and first-class intelligence. So, people who name Blue Jays as a bully or a jerk are way off the mark.
Blue Jays are territorial by Nature; these birds are dominant, persistent, aggressive, and loud as Nature intended. And, yes, it might be next to impossible to understand why Blue Jays act the way they do.
There is no question that these birds appear to even the most novice bird watcher as a more-than-ordinary bird. So, the next time you see a Blue Jay, be sure to observe it closely. That’s because it’s truly a unique bird.