Jay (Blue)

Of the 40 plus species of jays found worldwide, eight occur in North America. The Blue Jay’s scientific name is derived from Greek and Latin and means, "crested, blue chattering bird".

The Blue Jay belongs to the crow family and if you hear one you can believe it. The Blue Jay can be recognized from a distance by its apparently effortless flight. It flies with the body and tail held level, with slow, easily discernible wing strokes, which nevertheless carry it along at a good speed

The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. It has been suggested that these calls provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or that they are used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

Photographed in the wild at
Etobicoke, ON
Cape Coral, FL
Naples, FL