what to feed grey jays

They have been known to:

• Eat snails, spiders, frogs and small rodents.
• Take dead or injured small vertebrates.
• Pick up dead or dying adult birds.

Full Answer

Why do we feed gray jays?

Gray Jays belong to the corvid family and are highly aggressive birds that prey on more timid smaller birds such as warblers. When we feed Gray Jays we encourage them to congregate in those areas and scare away those more timid birds. Essentially altering the biodiversity of that ecosystem.

What do blue jays eat?

Blue Jays do resort to other extreme feeding measures, though. They have been known to: Eat snails, spiders, frogs and small rodents. Take dead or injured small vertebrates. Pick up dead or dying adult birds.

What are the Predators of a gray jay?

Gray jays can mimic other birds, especially predators such as Red-tailed hawks, Broad-winged hawks, and merlins. Gray jays may land on moose to remove and eat engorged winter ticks.

How do I attract Blue Jays to my feeder?

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.

Is it OK to feed GREY Jays?

It is not a good practice to feed them. Even when we do feed them and then disappear for awhile, they are survivors. They'll eat almost anything, including lichen, dead rodents, etc. They evidently have a high cache recovery rate.

Do GREY Jays eat meat?

Gray jays are omnivores and scavengers. They hunt such prey as arthropods, small mammals including rodents, and nestling birds. They may also opportunistically hunt young amphibians such as the western chorus frog and the long-toed salamander. Carrion, fungi, fruits such as chokecherry, and seeds are also eaten.

What do Canadian jays like to eat?

Canada Jays eat arthropods, berries, carrion, nestling birds, and fungi.

How do I attract Canadian jays?

Suet, mealworms, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds are other great options to attract jays, and natural food sources such as small fruits and berries—elderberries, cherries, wild grapes, blackberries, etc. —keep jays coming back for more.

How long does a GREY Jay live?

about 8 yearsBecause almost all Gray Jays stay in one place and do not have to face the perils of long annual migrations, they often live a very long time for such a small bird. Territory-owning individuals have an average lifespan of about 8 years and some jays reach the age of 15 or 16 years.

What do you feed Whiskey Jacks?

Diet & Behaviour Gray jays feed on meat, fruit, insects and vegetables (they are omnivorous) and love campsites with easy access to food.

Can blue jays eat bread?

Blue Jays will definitely eat bread, but it is to be avoided because feeding bread to blue jays can lead to nutritional problems and deficiencies.

Do blue jays eat seeds?

In addition to nuts and seeds, blue jays may eat other food sources such as berries, bugs and frogs.

What can I feed wild blue jays?

Blue Jays' Favorite FoodsMealworms, 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 bird feeder for blue jays?

Best Blue Jay FeederBirds Choice Whole Peanut Blue Jay Feeder. ... Woodlink Going Green Platform Bird Feeder. ... Songbird Essentials Whole Peanut Wreath Feeder. ... Gray Bunny Hanging Bird Feeder Tray. ... Woodlink Going Green Large Premier Bird Feeder.

Do blue jays eat apples?

Aside from berries, blue jays will also happily munch on other fruits such as apples, oranges and cherries. If feeding apples and oranges, make sure that you slice them up into manageable pieces for the birds to enjoy.

Why dont blue jays come to my feeder?

Those types of feeders are often too small. If blue jays feel that a feeder is too small or unsteady, then they won't use it. The small feeder can also make it difficult for them to gain access to the food. To attract blue jays to your yard, you need a feeder that fits them.

What do gray jays do when they eat?

When feeding, Gray jays wrench, twist, and tug food apart, unlike other jays (such as the Blue jay), which grasp and hammer their food. They also commonly carry large food items to nearby trees to eat or process for storage, possibly as a defense against large scavengers.

How do gray jays communicate?

To communicate with each other, Gray jays use a whistled 'quee-oo', and various clicks and chuckles. When predators are spotted, the birds produce a series of harsh clicks to signal a threat on the ground, or a series of repeated whistles to indicate a predator in the air. Group name. band, cast, party, scold.

How many Gray Jays are there?

Population number. According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Gray jays is 26,000,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

How many birds are in a Gray Jay family?

Habits and Lifestyle. Gray jays are social and often seen in small family groups that consist of 2 to 4 birds. They are active during the day spending time flying around their territory, hopping or walking on the ground in search of prey, caching (hiding) food, perching and sunbathing.

When do gray jays lay eggs?

Gray jays build their nests and lay eggs in March or even February when snow is deep in the boreal forest. Males choose a nest site in a mature conifer tree and take a lead role in construction. Cup-shaped nests are constructed with brittle dead twigs pulled off of trees, as well as bark strips and lichens.

Where do gray jays live?

WINGSPAN. 45 cm. The Gray jay is a fairly large songbird that lives in the boreal forests of North America. It has pale grey underparts, darker grey upperparts, and a grey-white head with a darker grey nape. These birds live year-round on permanent territories, surviving in cold winter months on food cached throughout their territory in warmer ...

What do scavengers eat?

They may also opportunistically hunt young amphibians such as the western chorus frog and the long-toed salamander. Carrion, fungi, fruits such as cho kecherry, and seeds are also eaten. Diet Omnivore, Scavenger.

The Thing Everyone Wants to Do

Whenever anyone comes to visit me in Saranac Lake there is always one thing on their to-do list: feed the Gray Jays along the Bloomingdale Bog Trail. They are a sought-after boreal species which draw many birders to our area, but more than that they are simply fun to observe.

The Debate Over Feeding Wildlife

Now, it is widely considered poor form to feed wildlife – theories suggest that wildlife which grows accustomed to human handouts may have difficulty finding their own food, and habituated animals may become nuisance individuals – trampling gardens, stealing food, or even becoming aggressive towards people.

If You Go

If you want to see the jays yourself, start at the Route 55 entrance to the Bloomingdale Bog Trail and walk south until you reach the power line cut where a small feeding station has been created for the Gray Jays. If the jays aren’t there, keep walking and they will likely find you.

What is a gray jay?

The gray jay, Perisoreus canadensis, is the Jack Russell terrier of the bird world. It’s smart, brazen, and attracted to people. “It’s a fun bird to study,” said William Barnard, a biology professor at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, who has observed gray jays for about a quarter century, mostly at Victory Bog in ...

Where do gray jays live?

The gray jay lives year round in the spruce-fir forests of Canada and the northern U.S. It’s a member of the corvid (crow) family, but even compared to its not-so-bashful blue jay and black crow cousins, this bird has a bold personality.

What does Barnard think about gray jays?

Barnard understands that gray jays may not have much of a future in our region, but he would hate to see them go. “They’re absolutely delightful birds,” he said. He remembers watching a sharp-shinned hawk hunting a gray jay.

How many morsels do gray jays have?

Gray jays create thousands of food caches, by some estimates up to 8,000 at one time, and retrieve some 80 percent of those morsels (what happens to the other 20 percent isn’t clear, though raids by other animals and spoilage surely take a toll).

How long do gray jays stay with their parents?

While gray jays hatch several young, the dominant sibling takes over and drives the others out. The top bird stays with the parents for at least a year, while the others fend for themselves. The subdominant birds “have a very high mortality rate,” noted Barnard.

How many gray jays have been banded?

Barnard is one of only a handful of scientists in North America who study the species. He’s banded 147 gray jays, outfitted 35 with radio tags to track them. He has discovered a lot about the bird, including how to determine gender by wing length.

Do Gray Jays remember his truck?

The birds recognize his truck. They come down for the muffins, but they’re wary. He’s taken blood samples from a lot of them and, like your dog at the vet, they don’t remember the experience fondly. Gray jays have a memory like a Vegas card counter. They need it.

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 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?

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.