The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a striking, intelligent bird native to eastern and central North America. These birds are highly adaptable omnivores, consuming both plant matter and animal protein. Attracting Blue Jays to a landscape depends on providing reliable sources of high-energy food and secure nesting locations. The attraction is not based on brightly colored flowers or nectar, but rather on the structural utility and the production of nuts, seeds, and fruits. They are drawn to environments that offer a consistent supply of these resources across the changing seasons.
Trees and Plants That Offer Nuts and Seeds
Blue Jays rely heavily on large trees that produce high-calorie nuts and seeds, which are suitable for their distinctive caching behavior. These resources form the bulk of their diet, especially during the colder months of the year. Blue Jays are known for their role in forest ecology, specifically their habit of burying acorns and other nuts for later retrieval, inadvertently planting new trees.
Oaks (Quercus species) are the primary food source, as the acorns are a favorite, high-fat item easily carried and cached in large numbers. A single Blue Jay can hide thousands of acorns over a fall season, transporting them in its expandable esophagus before burying them in the ground. Beech trees (Fagus) also produce highly sought after nuts, providing another dense, storable food source for winter survival.
Beyond large nut-bearing trees, certain plants provide concentrated seed heads that are easy for the Blue Jay’s robust bill to access. Sunflowers (Helianthus species) are particularly attractive because the large seeds offer significant nutritional value. The birds will perch directly on the spent flower heads or collect the fallen seeds. Other seed-producing plants, like purple coneflowers (Echinacea), also become a source of nutrition when insects are less available in the late fall and early winter.
Shrubs and Vines That Provide Berries and Fruit
Blue Jays supplement their diet with softer fruits and berries, particularly during the summer and early fall when these items are abundant. These food sources offer necessary moisture and different nutrient profiles than the hard nuts and seeds. Unlike cached nuts, these softer fruits are typically consumed immediately.
The fruit of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is a popular choice, providing small, bright red berries in the fall. Elderberry bushes (Sambucus) produce clusters of dark purple berries in late summer, which are a highly relished seasonal food source. These shrubs are often stripped clean shortly after the berries ripen.
Vines, such as Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), yield deep blue berries that persist into the cooler months, offering a late-season food supply. Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) is also a valuable plant, as its dense, fuzzy red fruit clusters remain on the plant well into winter. Although less palatable due to their sour nature, these berries become a crucial, reliable food source when other options are exhausted.
Essential Plants for Shelter and Nesting
Attracting Blue Jays requires providing the structural elements necessary for safety, roosting, and raising young. These large songbirds require mature, dense plant material that offers protection from predators and the elements. They will not use artificial birdhouses, preferring to build their nests in the secure branches of tall trees.
Dense evergreens are particularly beneficial, including species of Pine, Spruce, and Cedar. The thick, year-round foliage of these coniferous trees provides excellent camouflage and thermal protection during the winter. Blue Jays often select these sites for nesting, constructing their bulky nests of twigs and grass high up in the dense canopy.
Tall, dense shrubbery and thickets also contribute to the overall appeal of a habitat, offering lower-level cover for foraging and escaping immediate threats. Thorny varieties can provide an added layer of defense against climbing predators. Minimizing pruning on mature trees and allowing a dense understory to develop helps create the secure, layered environment Blue Jays seek for a safe place to live and breed.