Blue jays are beautiful, intelligent birds that frequent backyards across North America. Their bright blue plumage and raucous calls make them a delight to watch. However, blue jays have a reputation for being aggressive around bird feeders, scaring away smaller songbirds. This can frustrate backyard birdwatchers who want to attract a diversity of birds. The key is understanding blue jay behavior and preferences when it comes to birdseed.
Do blue jays eat bird seed?
Yes, blue jays readily eat bird seed and are attracted to feeders stocked with their favorite foods. Their daily diet consists mainly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects. At bird feeders, blue jays primarily eat various types of nuts, including peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and acorns. They also enjoy sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, and suet. Offering a variety of these foods will entice blue jays to visit your yard.
Top bird seeds blue jays love
Here are some of the top bird seeds favored by blue jays:
- Peanuts – Shelled, unsalted peanuts are highly attractive to blue jays. Offer them in the shell or out of the shell in feeders.
- Sunflower seeds – Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite. Blue jays prefer the larger seeds with thin shells.
- Almonds – Whole, unsalted almonds are a highly preferred food. Blue jays will stash excess almonds to cache for later.
- Walnuts – Shelled walnut pieces are relished by blue jays and other large backyard birds.
- Acorns – Whole acorns are a natural food source appreciated by blue jays and other corvids.
- Suet – Suet cakes with peanuts or nut pieces will attract blue jays to feeders.
Offering these nutritious seeds and nuts in feeders with good perches and wide feeding ports will satisfy hungry blue jays.
What bird seeds do blue jays avoid?
While blue jays eat a wide range of bird seeds, there are certain types they tend to avoid. Knowing what foods blue jays dislike can help birders minimize conflicts at feeders.
Bird seeds blue jays don’t prefer
Here are some common bird seeds that blue jays tend to ignore:
- Millet – The tiny, round white and red millet is favored by small songbirds. Blue jays rarely eat millet.
- Nyjer – The tiny black nyjer seed is a finch favorite. Blue jays show little interest in nyjer.
- Safflower – Safflower seeds have a hard shell that blue jays have difficulty cracking open.
- Canary seed – The tiny canary seeds are not substantial enough to interest blue jays.
- Rapeseed – Small, round rapeseed is not eaten by blue jays.
- Flax seed – The hard shell and small size of flax seeds make them unappealing to blue jays.
- Hemp seed – Blue jays avoid the tiny, nutritional hemp seeds.
- Thistle – Nyjer and thistle seeds are too small for blue jays to bother with.
By filling your feeders with these smaller seeds, you can create a feeding station that attracts smaller birds while discouraging blue jays. Adding special finch feeders stocked with nyjer seed is a great option.
How to discourage blue jays from bird feeders
Here are some tips to minimize blue jay presence at your feeders:
- Eliminate peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds and other favored seeds.
- Offer only nyjer, millet, safflower, canary, and other small seeds blue jays don’t like.
- Use finch feeders with small perches and tiny seed ports.
- Place feeders in open areas away from bushes where jays can ambush.
- Discourage blue jays by removing food at first sign of aggression.
- Try offering fruit away from seed feeders to distract jays.
Following these strategies can allow you to enjoy a diversity of small birds while minimizing problematic blue jay behavior. Keep an eye out and be prepared to adapt your approach based on the preferences of jays and other birds in your yard.
What health benefits do blue jays get from bird seed?
While birdseed helps satisfy blue jays’ hunger, it also provides important nutritional benefits:
Nutrition in preferred seeds
| Seed | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Peanuts | High in fat, protein, fiber, and vitamin E |
| Sunflower seeds | Rich in healthy fats, amino acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants |
| Almonds | Excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, antioxidants, and protein |
| Walnuts | High in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and protein for brain health |
| Acorns | Good source of carbohydrates, protein, fats, and minerals |
Importance of nutrition from seeds
Consuming these nutrient-rich seeds offers blue jays several key benefits:
- Protein for muscle maintenance and feather growth
- Healthy fats for energy and warmth in cold weather
- Antioxidants and vitamins to support immune function
- Minerals like calcium and phosphorus for bone strength
- Fiber for healthy digestion
Access to these seeds, especially in harsh weather, can significantly boost a blue jay’s chances of survival.
What are some common blue jay feeding behaviors?
Blue jays are intelligent, social birds that exhibit some fascinating behaviors around bird feeders:
Storing excess food
Blue jays regularly cache excess seeds and nuts. They bury them in hiding spots or wedge them into crevices and tree bark. These stored foods provide emergency reserves when food is scarce.
Visiting feeders early/late
Blue jays are most active in the early morning and evening around dawn and dusk. This helps them avoid larger daytime predators.
Perching and watching
Blue jays often perch nearby and observe a feeder for a period before approaching. Their intelligence helps them discern when it’s safe.
Eating quickly
Because of their vulnerability out in the open, blue jays rapidly grab seeds and nuts and then fly off to bushes or trees to eat and cache their food.
Dominating feeders
Aggressive blue jays may monopolize feeders and exclude other smaller birds. Reducing preferred seeds can help curb this behavior.
Mobbing predators
Blue jays band together and mob predators like hawks near feeders. Their noisy alarm calls alert other birds to danger.
Observing blue jay antics can add an element of suspense and drama to your backyard feeding experience!
What foods do blue jays eat in the wild besides bird seed?
While birdseed makes up an important part of their diet, blue jays also consume a wide variety of other foods in the wild:
Fruits and berries
Blue jays eat a wide assortment of fruits and berries, including:
- Cherries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Elderberries
- Mulberries
- Wild grapes
- Apples
- Plums
- Peaches
- Oranges
They pluck fruits directly from trees and shrubs and sometimes raid gardens for their favorite produce.
Nuts and acorns
Beyond bird feeders, blue jays feed heavily on tree nuts and acorns they harvest directly from trees, including:
- Acorns
- Hazelnuts
- Beechnuts
- Hickory nuts
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
These wild nuts provide vital nutrition.
Insects
While not their primary food source, blue jays eat some insects, especially during nesting season to feed their young. They consume:
- Caterpillars
- Grasshoppers
- Crickets
- Beetles
- Ants
- Cicadas
- Spiders
Blue jays locate insect prey visually in trees and on the ground.
Occasional foods
Less commonly, blue jays may eat:
- Bird eggs and nestlings
- Grains like corn and oats
- Small vertebrates like tree frogs
- Pet food
- Bread
- Cheese
- Mealworms
Their intelligence and adaptability allow them to take advantage of diverse food sources.
Conclusion
In summary, understanding blue jay food preferences is important for birders who want to attract a diversity of bird species. While blue jays readily eat common bird seeds like peanuts and sunflower seeds, avoiding these in favor of nyjer, millet and other small seeds can discourage blue jays. Their aggressive behavior can then be minimized, allowing other small birds better access to feeders. At the same time, blue jays themselves benefit nutritionally from quality birdseed. Observing these intelligent birds exhibit fascinating behaviors around feeders can bring joy to any backyard bird enthusiast.
