Stellars Jay
Oh, the sweet sound of birdsong—maybe? The Steller’s Jay might be lovely to look at, but its squawks are not always easy on the ear. It has more in its songbook than just squawks, though. It can mimic the sounds of other birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, chickens, and even mechanical objects. It imitates the calls of hawks and eagles to scare off competitors. This vibrantly blue bird is a year-round resident of our region. It is British Columbia’s provincial bird. Often seen (and heard) in campgrounds and backyards, its natural habitat is the forest. The Steller’s Jay is omnivorous, like its cousins the crow and the raven. It eats insects, nuts, seeds, acorns, and berries—and will even snatch the eggs and nestlings of other birds. Like a squirrel, it hoards food in secret caches to prepare for colder temperatures. It builds its nest in coniferous trees with twigs, mud and tree needles. When raising young, this notorious nest robber knows the value of being quiet and will keep its squawking to a minimum. The young are born without feathers, but in only three weeks they have developed their brilliant colouring. The body, wings and tail of a Steller’s Jay are a mix of deep and azure blue. Its head and nape are charcoal grey and there is a large black crest on top of its head. At nearly a foot long it’s easy to spot, even in the dense forest. Just look up to the tree canopy, where it flies gracefully, or down to the forest floor, where it hops around, foraging for food. A social bird, the Steller’s Jay likes to travel in small groups. Sometimes it will join other birds in mixed flocks, and sometimes a group of jays will mob predator birds in an aerial attack. All these survival strategies work well: Steller’s Jays can live more than ten years. The oldest one ever recorded was 16 years, one month old. Smart squawker of the forest — and the backyard
