Stunning Plumage Of Common Blue Jay Is Anything But Ordinary

May 01, 2020

Although most people overlook the common blue jay due to its relative abundance in much of eastern and central North America, they are beautiful, fascinating birds that are easy to appreciate if only you do a little digging into their scientific background. Here are several blue jay facts — including why their feathers are particularly stunning — that will help you admire this common but otherwise compelling bird the next time you see one in your backyard.

The stunning feathers of blue jays are anything but ordinary for two reasons. Firstly, the combinations of blue and white unique to these magnificent birds gives them an almost otherworldly color, as if their colors are so bright they don’t belong in nature. Secondly, the source of a blue jay’s coloration is fascinating. According to American Expedition, blue jays get their color from “light interference due to the internal structure of their feathers - if a feather is crushed, it will not maintain its blue coloration.”

It may be hard to imagine for those of us who don’t study birds, but blue jays are known for their complex social systems, their intelligence and their familial bonds, according to The Cornell Lab’s bird database. For example, many blue jays mate for life and stick with their partners throughout the year. As for evidence of their intelligence and complex social systems, blue jays communicate not only through bird calls but also through body language using their crest. Similar to how a dog signals its mood with its tail, the higher the blue jay’s crest is, the higher the bird’s aggression level. In addition, blue jays have both a large vocal vocabulary along with an ability to mimic other animal sounds

Moreover, despite being abundant and common in North America, Cornell’s bird lab writes that researchers are largely in the dark when it comes to certain aspects about blue jays. Blue jay migration patterns, for instance, are largely an enigma. Whereas some blue jays stay put throughout the entire year, others migrate in spring. Overall, however, less than 20 percent of blue jays migrate.

While you might think that all blue jays are the same, there are actually several subspecies of blue jay, according to American Expedition. Differentiated by their plumage and coloration, northern blue jays, which feature pale blue feathers and dull plumage, live in Canada and the northern U.S; coastal blue jays are bright blue and live on the southern coast of the eastern U.S.; interior blue jays stick to the midwestern U.S.; and finally, Florida blue jays, the smallest subspecies, live as their name suggests in Florida.

Blue jays can reach up to speeds of 25 miles per hour, though their flight speed ranges between 20 to 25 miles per hour, according to American Expedition. That extra bit of speed allows them to escape a long list of predators.

Have we convinced you that blue jays aren't as "common" as they seem? Let us know and pass this story on to your animal-loving friends and family members.