Blue jays will consume the following common bird foods:
- Bird seed mixes, particularly large seeds such as sunflower seeds
- Peanuts, hazelnuts and pretty much any other nuts
- Suet
- Leftovers, particularly small meat scraps in winter
- Mealworms, fresh or dried.
- Suet cakes, shreds, nuggets, or suet butter.
- Sunflower seeds of any type.
- Cracked corn or whole corn kernels.
What is the best feeder for Blue Jays?
What Type of Feeder Do Blue Jays Like?
- Tray Feeder A tray feeder is a great choice for those who want to offer an easy, stationary feeding station. ...
- Plastic Platform Feeder A platform feeder is another simple bird feeding solution that you can get without worrying too much about the size of your backyard. ...
- Tube Feeder WITH Attached Tray
What is feeder do you recommend for Blue Jays?
What Do The Blue Jays Eat?
- These birds are cautious and will not approach your installed feeders when humans are near. ...
- Make sure to install a ground feeder to support Blue Jays. ...
- You will need a ground bird feeder or a large bird feeder to support blue jays. ...
- Blue jays are fond of black oil sunflower seeds, corn, peanuts, and acorns.
What type of bird feeder should be used for Blue Jays?
Suet Feeders: Like most wild birds, Blue Jays love Suet-particularly during cold winter months. If you're offering this type of bird food to them make sure you have chosen an extra-sturdy model of the feeder. Many of the basic wire suet feeders are not made to accommodate large songbirds like Blue Jays.
What do Blue Jays like to eat?
What Do Blue Jays Eat?
- Insects. Blue jays enjoy eating insects that are both big and small. Blue jays eat ants, dragonflies, bugs, bees, beetles, cicadas, carpenter bees, flies, grubs, and grasshoppers.
- Fruits. All blue jays can and will fruits. ...
- Vegetables. Vegetables are also a part of the diet of blue jays on a daily basis. ...
- Eggs. Yes, blue jays love to eat eggs. ...
What kind of food do you feed blue jays?
Omnivorous. Most of diet is vegetable matter (up to 75% of diet for year, higher percentage in winter), including acorns, beechnuts, and other nuts, many kinds of seeds, grain, berries, small fruits, sometimes cultivated fruits.
How do I attract blue jays?
7 Proven Ways to Attract Blue Jays to Your YardOffer their favorite foods.Use a Blue-Jay-friendly feeder.Have water available.Plant fruit-bearing shrubs.Plant nut-bearing trees.Go organic.Keep kitty inside.
What fruit do blue jays eat?
Blue jays love all types of berries including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and elderberries. Therefore, if you want to provide a little treat for your visiting blue jays, you could set up a separate feeder just for berries and fruit.
Do blue jays eat bird seed?
Blue jays will consume the following common bird foods: Bird seed mixes, particularly large seeds such as sunflower seeds. Peanuts, hazelnuts and pretty much any other nuts. Suet.
Should you feed blue jays?
Feed. Blue jays enjoy nuts, especially peanuts–whole or already shelled. They also like common bird feed like suet, cracked corn, and black oil sunflower seeds. However, blue jays will need to feed on a platform feeder or a large tray because of their size.
What does a blue jay in your yard mean?
Blue jays are a sign from the gods that you're on the correct path if they appear near your home or even establish a nest there. The presence of a blue jay near you for an extended period of time indicates that you should continue to pursue your goals.
Do Blue Jays like carrots?
Carrots are another vitamin-rich fresh food that is a favorite of many pet birds.
Do Blue Jays recognize humans?
Ravens and other members of the corvid family (crows, jays, and magpies) are known to be intelligent. They can remember individual human faces, expertly navigate human environments (like trash cans), and they even hold funerals for their dead.
Is it OK to feed Blue Jays bread?
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “We discourage people from feeding bread to birds, as there are far too many potential risks. If moldy, bread can be dangerous to birds. Bread gets moldy quickly, and mold can pose a number of health problems for birds.
How do you feed blue jays but not squirrels?
Sometimes it seems like blue jays have special peanut vision, so give them a beacon in the backyard. This bird feeder holds a large amount of shelled peanuts, so there will be plenty to go around for the woodpeckers, nuthatches and blue jays. The durable metal mesh will deter squirrels from chewing on it.
Do blue jays like bananas?
This particular treat has suet dough, mealworms, and sunflower seeds all combined into a healthy and tasty treat. Or if you prefer: I also recommend Wild Sciences Suet. Besides the healthy rendered beef fat, they have a couple of formulas containing fruits, nuts, seeds, and peanuts, which blue jays go bananas for.
Where do you put a blue jay feeder?
Make sure to choose two different types of feeders for the Blue Jays to install in your garden. Set up a feeder in an open area, ideally which is near to the shrubbery.
What do blue jays eat?
In addition to nuts and seeds, blue jays may eat other food sources such as berries, bugs and frogs. They usually don’t eat adult bees or wasps, but sometimes they will break open a wasps’ nest to eat the soft larvae inside.
Do blue jays eat bees?
They usually don’t eat adult bees or wasps, but sometimes they will break open a wasps’ nest to eat the soft larvae inside. Around a small wasps’ nest, blue jays have been observed catching and crushing the adult wasps and dropping them on the ground.
How to keep blue jays from eating?
Avoid the sun. Place the feeder in the shade, if possible. Blue Jays are diurnal, so they feed during the daylight hours. Since they take mass quantities of food at a time so that they can hide it, their visit to the feeder can be rather lengthy. That’s a lot of time in the heat of the sun.
How many acorns can a blue jay eat?
Carrying several nuts at a time in the gular pouch of its esophagus, a single blue jay can cache as many as 5,000 acorns in a 2.5-mile radius. Some of those acorns tucked under grass or leaves eventually become trees. New: Check out my review of the best squirrel-proof bird feeders.
What is a blue jay?
The blue jay is a partially migratory songbird in the Corvid family, along with ravens and crows. It has black and blue plumage, a white face and a thick bill. Those who have spent time or live in central or eastern North America tend to recognize them easily.
Can blue jays snub feeders?
They certainly won’t snub a more traditional feeder, though. Be sure that whatever feeder you get, it is sizable enough to support blue jays. There are several ground feeders and larger bird feeders on the market. You can also scatter seed on the ground to attract blue jays. Stock the feeder with their favorites.
Do blue jays mate in the winter?
Both parents share equal responsibility for feeding their young once the eggs have hatched. Into late summer, fall and winter, blue jays may have to search for food in other locations.
Can blue jays eat suets?
Or from a window, if available. Don’t forget the suet. Blue Jays also enjoy eating from suet feeders, but be sure not to leave the suet for too long in the summer months as it will go rotten. Provide a source for hydration… and cleanliness.
What do blue jays eat?
A blue jay’s diet consists mainly of nuts, seeds, acorns, small fruits, berries, suet and insects. As you can see, these birds eat a wide variety of foods. But, they do have favorites. Here are a selection of 8 favorite foods that blue jays will gobble up happily from your feeders. If you provide plenty of these, ...
How many mealworms do blue jays eat?
Because insects form a large part of the blue jay’s diet, they absolutely adore mealworms. In fact, a single blue jay can easily eat around 100-150 mealworms every day. These tasty treats are high in protein and are great to put out when the birds are nesting.
What is suet for blue jays?
Suet for blue jays consists of a mix of beef fat, peanuts, sunflower seeds and corn. The addition of the beef fat to the mix gives these feisty birds an extra shot of energy. Generally, you can find a suet mix available in blocks. These are ideal to put into special suet feeders that are also squirrel-proof.
How to attract blue jays to my yard?
If you want to attract lots of blue jays to your yard, put out some peanuts in their shells. Blue jays absolutely adore these. You can add them to your platform feeders or you can even get a dedicated peanut feeder.
What kind of berries do blue jays like?
Berries. Blue jays love all types of berries including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and elderberries. Therefore, if you want to provide a little treat for your visiting blue jays, you could set up a separate feeder just for berries and fruit.
Do squirrels eat corn?
Be aware though, that squirrels also love to eat corn. Therefore, make sure that your feeder is squirrel-proof by installing some baffles to make it difficult for the squirrels to get the corn from the feeders. Interestingly, a blue jay will also eat corn kernels straight from the cob.
Do blue jays like oak trees?
Many of these hidden acorns have been forgotten by the birds and have grown into large oak trees around North America. Another tree that blue jays favor is the beech.
1. Songbird Essentials SE6019 Wreath Feeders
There are three things that I love about this feeder: simple, sturdy, and effective. At a glance, you might think it’s nothing but a piece of refurbished metal that you can just hang on a tree or post. But the straightforward design is beyond innovative because it can offer ample capacity for whole peanuts and even suet.
2. Twinkle Star Wild Bird Feeders
I won’t deny that it’s love at first upon seeing this beautiful feeder. The hexagon roof embellished with fish scale patterns and antique copper finish truly is a stunning sight that can stand out in your garden or backyard.
3. Songbird Essentials SE6020 Wreath Feeders
Contrary to our first wreath peanut feeder for blue jays, this one comes in a cherry red color. It stands out in the yard and it’s a whole lot of fun when blue jays and other birds stop by for a snack.
4. Droll Yankees Seed Saver Platform Feeders
For a sophisticated perch and feeder for your feathered friends, this Seed Saver Domed feeder from Droll Yankees is probably what’s missing in your yard. It is definitely a beauty that compliments the house exteriors but its versatility is what makes it one of a kind.
5. Birds Choice Whole Peanut Blue Jay Feeders
When you’re in need of a blue jay peanut feeder that you can set up in your backyard and attract blue jays with their favorite whole nuts, you would love this feeder from Birds Choice.
6. Brome Store Squirrel Proof Buster Peanut Feeders
Unless you’re feeding squirrels, you’ll need a squirrel proof blue jay feeder to shoo them all away from those precious peanuts. I’ve come across a lot of bird feeders but this one from Brome is definitely a tough contender.
7. Droll Yankees 21964205201 Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
When flocks of birds usually come around your area or the seeds seem to run out too fast, you should get a bird feeder with a larger capacity.
How to hand feed a blue jay?
If you want to succeed in hand-feeding a Blue Jay, you should stay consistent. When you show up at the same time each and every day, the birds will get to know you better. If the bird flies away, avoid the temptation to follow it. Let the birds feel safe enough to move away from you. If you do follow or chase the bird, they could interpret that as predatory.
How to make sure blue jays are welcome?
First up, make sure you are offering them something to suit all their needs. You need to make sure that you provide shelter, food, water, and comfortable nesting sites. If you bring all of these to your backyard, Blue Jays are sure to feel welcome in your backyard.
Do blue jays robins?
Blue Jays have a bad reputation for being bullies of the bird world. They are beautiful, bold creatures that have often been spotted robbing a robin’s nest. They do sometimes scoop a young robin hatchling out the nest. For this reason, they haven’t garnered the love of many birders.
Do blue jays take offense?
Remember that Blue Jays are brave and will take offense if they feel threatened. Be sure to be consistent and show up around the same time each day. This will help earn Blue Jay’s trust, and they will begin to recognize you as a non-threatening presence.
Is a blue jay good for the environment?
Blue jays are renowned for their bravado and beautiful plumage, but did you know they are excellent environmentalists too? While the blue jay is not an activist, they are great for the environment. They have a strong proclivity for planting acorns and seeds, helping encourage biodiversity, amongst other things. So, we know they are excellent for encouraging foliage, but are they good at hand feeding? Is hand feeding Blue Jays recommended?
