Blue jays, with their striking blue, black, and white plumage, are a common and easily recognizable sight across eastern North America. These intelligent and vocal birds are highly adaptable, often found in both expansive forests and suburban backyards. Blue jays are omnivorous, with a remarkably diverse diet that includes both plant and animal matter, allowing them to thrive in various environments.
Blue Jay’s Natural Diet
Blue jays primarily consume plant-based foods in their natural habitats, which constitute up to 75% of their diet, with an even higher percentage during winter months. Acorns are a significant food source for them, alongside other nuts like beechnuts, hickory nuts, and hazelnuts. They use their strong bills to crack open these nuts, often holding them against a perch with one foot.
Beyond nuts, blue jays forage for a variety of seeds from trees, shrubs, and grasses, as well as grains. Berries and small fruits, such as cherries and grapes, also provide them with sweet treats and essential nutrients, particularly when readily available. This diverse plant diet provides the bulk of their necessary calories and nutrients throughout the year.
Blue jays also incorporate a range of animal-based foods into their diet, especially during warmer months when protein demands are higher for breeding. Insects are a major protein source, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, and dragonflies, which they often catch in flight. They also consume spiders and snails.
Blue jays are opportunistic predators of small vertebrates. This can include small rodents like mice and amphibians such as frogs. Although sometimes associated with eating the eggs and nestlings of other birds, extensive research indicates this behavior is rare.
Blue jays cache food, where they gather and store nuts and seeds for later consumption. They possess an expandable throat pouch, known as a gular pouch, which allows them to carry multiple items, such as several acorns, to a hiding spot. They often bury food under leaves or in shallow ground holes, sometimes even transporting them miles away. This caching habit plays a significant ecological role, as uneaten acorns often sprout, contributing to the dispersal and regeneration of oak trees.
Feeding Blue Jays in Your Yard
Providing specific foods can encourage blue jay visits to your yard, with unsalted peanuts being a favorite. Peanuts can be offered both in the shell or shelled, as blue jays are adept at cracking them open.
Black oil sunflower seeds are another highly recommended food due to their high fat and protein content and thin shells, making them easy for blue jays to open. Suet cakes and cracked corn are also popular choices. Occasionally, mealworms, both fresh and dried, can be offered as a protein-rich treat.
Blue jays prefer sturdy feeders that can accommodate their larger size. Platform feeders or large tray feeders are excellent options. Hopper feeders are also suitable. Providing a reliable water source, such as a birdbath, can further encourage visits.
It is important to avoid offering certain foods that can be harmful to birds. Salty foods, including salted peanuts or processed snacks, should not be provided, as high salt intake can lead to dehydration and kidney problems. Avocado contains a substance toxic to many bird species. Fruit pits and apple seeds contain cyanide. Additionally, any food treated with pesticides or other chemicals should never be offered to birds.