Steller's Jay
A species of North American Crested Jays Scientific name : Cyanocitta stelleri Genus : North American Crested Jays
Steller's Jay, A species of North American Crested Jays
Botanical name: Cyanocitta stelleri
Genus: North American Crested Jays
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Description
Steller's Jays are loud, large jays that live mostly in evergreen forests. Their "song" is a horrible screeching call, but they are also great mimics that can copy the sounds of other birds, dogs, cats, chickens, etc. Notorious nest-robbers, they are well-known for attacking and killing small adult birds, nestlings, and taking off with other birds' eggs.
Size
29 cm
Life Expectancy
16 years
Nest Placement
Tree
Clutch Size
2 - 6 eggs
Incubation Period
1 brood
Number of Broods
16 days
Nestling Period
16 days
Feeding Habits
Steller's Jay are omnivorous generalist foragers with a diet comprising two-thirds plant matter and one-third animal matter. They consume nuts, seeds, berries, invertebrates, small animals, eggs, and nestlings. Steller's Jay forage food, store nuts, and are drawn to peanuts, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and suet at feeders, sometimes stealing or taking human handouts.
Habitat
Steller's Jay predominantly inhabits coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, as well as arid pine-oak woodlands in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico. They are adaptable to varying altitudes, generally ranging from 3,000-10,000 feet but can descend to the Pacific coastal foothills. While they favor mountainous regions, steller's Jay can also frequent residential and agricultural landscapes near forests. Some winters, flocks may venture into atypical areas, such as desert environments, during irruptive movements.
Nest Behavior
Both steller's Jay pair members select the site and collect materials. Nest building precedes the laying of 3-5 eggs, with both parents involved in incubation. They aggressively defend the nest and provide continuous care for the altricial young post-hatching.
Nest Characteristics
Steller's Jay's nest is typically situated on a conifer's horizontal branch close to the trunk, often near tree tops but can be just above ground. The bulky cup is constructed from stems, leaves, moss, and sticks, cemented with mud, lined with pine needles, rootlets, or animal hair, measuring 10-17 inches in diameter and 6-7 inches in height.
Dite type
Omnivorous
People often ask
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
Hulled Sunflower Seeds
Suet
Cracked Corn
Peanuts
Peanut Hearts
Millet
Milo
Mealworms
Bird Feeder Type
Large Tube Feeder
Suet Cage
Large Hopper
Platform
Ground
Sounds
Call
Recording location: United States
Call
Recording location: United States
SubSong
Recording location: United States
Behavior
Steller's Jay exhibit a dynamic daily routine characterized by bold, hop-like movements across terrestrial and arboreal landscapes, primarily utilizing the sturdy primary branches of conifers. Their inquisitive nature is evident through frequent, sharp head movements, scrutinizing their vicinity. Exceptional spatial memory aids steller's Jay in caching excess sustenance, a tactic they share with their talent for plundering the stores of other species. Steller's Jay are adept nest plunderers, targeting the eggs and fledglings of various species. Socially cohesive, they often traverse in groups, engaging in playful or competitive interactions and seamlessly integrating into mixed-species assemblages. Renowned for their vocal prowess, steller's Jay punctuate mountainous forests with a continual vocal reportage, frequently initiating collective defensiveness towards predators and intruders.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
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