Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Gail McPeek
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) 10/7/2007 © Jerry Jourdan
The Blue Jay is a notoriously noisy bird, except Lake Michigan and Lake Huron shorelines, and at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory in the UP. at nesting time when adults are quiet and In 2007, spring counts at WPBO recorded more stealthy, being careful not to draw attention to than 9,000 Blue Jays from 9 to 31 May, with their reproductive goal and, what will soon high counts of 1,500 and 1,170 on 18 May and become more noisy Blue Jays. This bird is very 23 May, respectively (WPBO 2007). Fall easy to identify, having bold blue plumage with migration occurs from mid-September to late various white and black markings, a regal crest, October. and a long tail. It is a member of the Corvid family, and one of two jays found in Michigan. Distribution
Blue Jays breed throughout the Michigan The Blue Jay is a common permanent resident landscape. Their loud “jaaaay” calls resound across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. and wherever there is some forest or forest edge, and southern Canada. For several decades, a that includes the multitude of wood-lands westward expansion has been underway with provided by our parks, golf courses, and occasional nesting as far west as Oregon and neighborhoods. Such a ubiquitous distribution British Columbia. Although recognized as a is due, in large part, to an omnivorous diet. permanent resident throughout its range, Foods include corn, grains, and fruits, sunflower numbers do withdraw in winter from northern seeds and suet, insects, and most importantly, areas. In Michigan, for example, 7,468 Blue mast from trees. Blue Jays consume large Jays were recorded on the 2006-07 CBC, but quantities of acorns, beechnuts, hickories, and only 621 of these were in the UP, with 2,266 in hazelnuts (Tarvin and Woolfenden 1999). the NLP and more than half (4,581) in the SLP Autumn is a busy time of caching, and (Palmgren 2008). individuals are known to hide thousands of
acorns and nuts for later use. The Blue Jay is a Being a more northerly state, Michigan also has valuable “forester,” spreading seeds and helping well-defined spring and fall migrations. Spring regenerate our woodlands. migration occurs in late April to late May.
Movements are particularly noticeable along the
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Gail McPeek
Historic records from Barrows (1912) and Abundance and Population Trends others describe the Blue Jay as abundant in (Click to view trends from the BBS) Michigan. Both Atlases confirm that this status The Blue Jay can be included in the upper has not changed. During MBBA II, this species echelon of Michigan’s most common and was reported in 91% of the state’s townships, widely distributed species. However, its overall earning seventh place honors on the “top ten” numbers rank far below those of our most list. Occurrence drops off slightly in the UP abundant birds. The PIF database provides a (84% of townships), but this may be more a rough estimate of 640,000 Blue Jays for reflection of effort in this less populated, less Michigan, a population similar to species like accessible region. American Crow (590,000), Common Yellowthroat (650,000), Indigo Bunting Breeding Biology (720,000), and Brown-headed Cowbird As winter turns to spring, resident Blue Jay (590,000). Far more abundant are American flocks break up into smaller groups, and those Robin (5,900,000), Red-winged Blackbird that migrated return north. Now is when Blue (3,600,000), European Starling (3,400,000), Jays really crank up the volume. This is the Red-eyed Vireo (2,400,000), Song Sparrow time when you can hear their amazing repertoire (2,200,000), plus several more species with of calls, screams, whistles, guttural rattles, and populations over one million. (PIF 2007). mimicking of raptors. This conspicuous, rambunctious period is followed by several Within our state borders, Blue Jays are generally weeks of contrasting quiet, as mated pairs get more abundant in the LP when compared to the down to the business of nesting. This switch in UP. Both Atlas and BBS data indicate this behavior makes finding nests quite challenging. general pattern, though there are clearly areas in You know there is a pair around somewhere, the LP where numbers are low, for example the but they seem to have suddenly disappeared. thumb region and some of the central counties, where woodland habitats are less common. Nesting in Michigan occurs from April through BBS data from 1966-2007 identify two routes June (Kalamazoo Nature Center 2004). Blue with especially high averages (Sauer et al. Jays construct a bulky twig nest, well hidden in 2008). These are located in Crawford County a coniferous or deciduous tree. Pairs do not (37.00 Blue Jays) and Oscoda County (35.94). maintain an overall territory, but do This is a forested area dominated by mast- aggressively defend the nest site from raptors, producing trees. Other routes with averages crows, squirrels, snakes, cats, and other exceeding 20 Blue Jays are in Charlevoix, predators (Stokes 1979, Tarvin and Woolfenden Antrim, Grand Traverse, Mecosta and Newaygo 1999). Incubation of the 3-6 eggs takes 15-18 counties in the NLP; Allegan, Van Buren, days, with a similar number of days for Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent and nestlings to grow (Harrison 1975). Once young Montcalm counties in the southwestern LP; and fledge, noise picks up again and family groups Livingston and Washtenaw counties in the can be seen traveling about, with juveniles southeastern LP. impatiently begging for food. Observations of fledged young account for many of the atlas Comparison of MBBA I and MBBA II data breeding confirmations. suggest no significant change in the Blue Jay population in Michigan over the past 20 years. State BBS data concur with this finding. There has, however, been a small but significant decline when looking at Blue Jays across the
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Gail McPeek entire Midwest region. Both New York Mountain Bird Observatory.
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center