For most people who reside wherever in the USA, the blue jay is a standard sight in your yard.
From the loud, screeching calls to their bully-like conduct on the fowl feeder, these corvids are undoubtedly distinctive and ubiquitous of their typical vary.
However these birds are additionally recognized to trigger fairly a commotion, and loads of individuals report that blue jays have even attacked them earlier than for seemingly no cause.
May this be true? And extra importantly, are blue jays harmful?
No. Blue jays will not be harmful, though they’re recognized to assault folks that get too near their nests, or to meals sources that they frequent. A peck from a blue jay will harm, however is not going to trigger any vital damage.
The worst factor a blue jay can do to you is provide you with a pointy peck on the top. And make no mistake, they’re much more possible to do this than many different fowl species!
However except for that, the one actual threat they pose to you is to your psychological well being because of their loud, squealing calls.
Hold studying and I’ll inform you much more about blue jays and their generally aggressive conduct under…
Blue Jay Overview, Temperament and Habitat
Blue jays are among the many largest, commonest and most immediately recognizable songbirds in North America.
In addition they occur to be among the many most clever, as befits any fowl belonging to the household Corvidae. Blue jays rely amongst their cousins crows and ravens, and like these birds Blue jays are extraordinarily artful.
However with that mind additionally comes an inclination to bully, or should you wished to be variety, you may say that blue jays are very assertive.
Blue jays are recognized to recollect many various places of meals which they are going to service day in and day trip, and far of the time they are going to work laborious to maintain different birds, and even different animals like squirrels, away from their meals!
It isn’t out of the query that blue jays will even attempt to run you away from their meals sources!
Except for being meals aggressive blue jays are additionally recognized to vigorously defend their nesting areas, whether or not or not they’re nested in a tree.
Blue jays are infamous for dive-bombing individuals and different animals that get too near their nest web site.
The beak of a blue jay is powerful and optimized for breaking into all kinds of harder meals, to allow them to provide you with a fairly imply peck, actually sufficient to interrupt your pores and skin.
Blue jays are also called nest raiders; taking eggs, chicks and even entire elements of a nest away from different birds, and meaning they sometimes don’t get together with most different species.
Though the weight loss program of a blue jay not often incorporates greater than the occasional egg or chick, it’s nonetheless ample sufficient to make them vital nest predators of different songbirds.
The aggressiveness and intelligence of the blue jay, mixed with its tendency to dominate meals sources and run off different birds has led to them being categorised as pests by some of us.
Do Blue Jays Defend Their Territory?
Sure! Blue jays are among the many most territorial songbirds, and are notorious for defending their most popular meals sources, nesting areas, and even their most popular roosting timber from different birds and even a lot bigger animals, individuals included.
Pay attention for the shrill, whining warning name of a blue jay that’s close by and also you’ll know it’s getting irritated and making ready to do one thing about it.
Do Blue Jays Act Aggressively Towards Every Different?
Typically. Blue jays are likely to get together with others of their very own variety, as is well evidenced by the crest on their head.
Any blue jay that’s calm and comfy can have its crest mendacity down, virtually indistinguishable from the remainder of the feathers on its head and neck.
However blue jays which might be alerted or aggravated can have a crest standing up proud, and the larger the agitation the extra frazzled the crest will look.
If you happen to ever see two blue jays preventing, it’s in all probability males stepping into it over entry to females in the course of the mating season or because of crowding concerns in terms of nesting.
In any other case it is not uncommon to see blue jays consuming or congregating in small teams peaceably.
Do Blue Jays Threaten Folks?
Blue jays will threaten individuals, sure, however individuals have little to concern from blue jays basically.
Many blue jays will readily begin to swoop and peck at people that get too near their nesting web site, or ones that linger too lengthy close to their most popular meals supply.
Blue jays will even strike at individuals persistently in an effort to drive them off!
Nevertheless, individuals actually don’t have a lot to fret about from blue jays as a result of the probabilities of any form of vital damage are very low.
Have There Been Recorded Blue Jay Assaults on Folks?
Sure, loads, and on a regular basis. There are mountains of anecdotal tales about blue jays attacking individuals in their very own yards or as they stroll down the sidewalk.
Blue jays have a particular and distinct concept of what constitutes “their territory” and so they typically gained’t put up with individuals being in it.
Additionally, each as soon as in a blue moon, pardon the pun, you’ll hear a information story a few notably aggressive blue jay that turns right into a veritable native terror, attacking individuals and pets indiscriminately. Many occasions, these birds must be relocated…
What Will Set off a Blue Jay Assault on a Individual?
The #1 factor you are able to do to immediate a blue jay to assault you is to come back too near its nesting web site.
Blue jays not often hesitate to alert after which assault any interloper coming close to their nest, be it one other fowl, a mammal or perhaps a individual.
Observe that even when their nest is excessive up in a tree, simply coming too near the tree itself is perhaps sufficient to set off an assault, and the probabilities of an assault go up proportionally along with your proximity to the nest.
This may be particularly possible if the blue jays been pressured to nest nearer to the bottom.
With an absence of taller timber, blue jays will shortly and simply nest in bigger mailboxes, bushes, and another places of alternative. This implies you may wind up a complete lot nearer to a blue jays nest than anticipated.
Aside from nesting web site issues, blue jays will generally get very possessive over their chosen feeding location.
Nicely-stocked fowl feeders and another areas the place individuals scatter seeds or different meals will turn out to be frequent hangouts for blue jays.
Simply How Robust is a Blue Jay?
Blue jays are not sturdy, not in comparison with people at any fee!
These birds are clever problem-solvers, and ones with notably stout beaks which might be appropriate for cracking open nuts, however their energy will rely for nothing subsequent to yours.
Can Blue Jays Chunk?
No, probably not. It’s unlikely {that a} blue jay can open its beak vast sufficient to correctly chew you, and even when they do you aren’t actually anxious in regards to the chew, per se.
A blue jay’s greatest type of protection utilizing its beak is to really peck you, a process they’re nicely fitted to since their beak is so sturdy and sharp.
What Does a Blue Jay Assault Look Like?
A blue jay assault will begin out with a shrill, screaming alarm name, adopted by repeated shut dives previous you.
In case you are fortunate, that’s all they are going to do, however after a dive or two, they have a tendency to begin pecking at your head whereas flogging you with their wings and screaming the whole time.
This, naturally, may be very traumatic and may be painful. A pointy crack from a blue jay’s beak is more likely to pierce the pores and skin and provide you with a small wound, though critical accidents are virtually unparalleled.
How Do You Reply to a Blue Jay Assault?
The perfect factor you are able to do if attacked by a blue jay is simply to get away from it, or fairly get away from wherever you think its nest truly is.
As quickly as you set sufficient distance between you and the fowl’s territory, it ought to depart you alone.
There’s not far more you are able to do besides to guard your head; getting pecked within the eye will certainly destroy your day and is perhaps medically vital.
Nevertheless, if for no matter cause the blue jay gained’t depart you alone or is terrorizing a baby or one thing you may simply dispatch the fowl with one strong blow; they’re as tiny, frail and fragile as another songbird.
Will a Blue Jay Eat a Individual?!
No. Blue jays are omnivorous, however they aren’t going to eat individuals. Except for the occasional fowl egg, chick and every so often one other tiny mammal or different animal, blue jays actually aren’t able to consuming any meat taken from bigger creatures. We’re simply too huge.
Can Folks Catch Ailments from Blue Jays?
Typically not. Even when dealing with a blue jay for no matter cause, the one factor it’s good to fear about are widespread fowl parasites like fleas, ticks, mites, and the like.
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