I usually take pictures of birds and keep them in a file until I am ready to feature them. These pictures were taken earlier this spring.

Even though they can be pushy at feeders and chase other birds away, they are fun to watch.

From the Internet: Blue Jays are some of the most recognized backyard birds in North America. They typically live on the edge of forests and enjoy acorns, other seeds and nuts. They are found near oak trees because of their interest in eating acorns. In comparison to other birds, Blue Jays fly quite slowly at 20 to 25 miles per hour.

Male and Female Blue Jays look alike. This is a rare characteristic among birds, and is called sexual monomorphism, meaning the males and females look the same. However, male Blue Jays are slightly larger. On average, Blue Jays live about five to seven years.

One of the predators of the Blue Jay is the Red-shouldered Hawk. They warn other birds of the hawk’s presence by imitating the sound of the hawk when they see one. Adults are preyed on by owls, cats and hawks. The baby’s enemies are snakes, raccoons, opossums, crows, and squirrels.

Male and female Blue Jays work together to build a nest. Any shrub or tree can be used, but they seem to prefer evergreen trees. Their nests are cup-shaped and made out of twigs, moss, bark, cloth, paper, and feathers. The male will feed and take care of the female when she is sitting on eggs. When the young are about 17 to 21 days old, the whole family will leave the nest together. Once a female Blue Jay chooses her mate, they are typically together for life in a monogamous relationship.

Some Blue Jays stay in one place all year, others migrate. Young Blue Jays are more apt to migrate than older ones. Some Blue Jays will migrate south one winter but not migrate the next year.

Though they are much prettier, Blue Jays are closely related to the crow. The Blue Jay’s wingspan can be anywhere from 13 to 17 inches.

Blue Jays live in small family groups or pairs, but they will gather in large flocks during their migratory season. Some birds are nocturnal and active at night, but Blue Jays are active during the day, which means they are diurnal.