Blue Jay

(Cyanocitta cristata)

Conservation Status
Blue Jay
Photo by Ramona Abrego
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

The male is slightly larger but otherwise nearly identical to the female.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

11 to 12½ in length

16 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
 

A loud, screaming, jay-jay-jay

 
     
   
 

A high note followed quickly by a low note, the pair often repeated rapidly two or three times, and sounding melodious. It is often called the “rusty pump call.”

 
     
 

It can also imitate a red-shouldered hawk.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Mixed and deciduous forests, agricultural areas, suburban areas, city parks

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

 

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common to abundant

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Passeriformes (perching birds)  
 

Family

Corvidae (crows, jays, and magpies)  
 

Genus

Cyanocitta (blue and Steller’s jays)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Coastal Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata cristata)

Florida Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata semplei)

Interior Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata cyanotephra)

Northern Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata bromia)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this bird.

 
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Luciearl

 
 

Every morning for 3 yrs. the blue jays make a visit for peanuts in the shell. If I forget, they'll let me know. I'll hear them begging outside.

  Blue Jay  
 

Gregory Gilman

 
    Blue Jay      
 

Ramona Abrego

 
    Blue Jay   Blue Jay  
           
    Blue Jay      
 

Lynn Rubey

 
 

A Blue Jay flew onto the top of these vines feeding on berries. Along the Ortonville Bike trail.

 
    Blue Jay      
           
 

The Blue Jay turned and looked at me and my grand daughter before going back to feeding.

 
    Blue Jay      
           
 

The Blue Jay taking off after feeding.

 
    Blue Jay      
 

Kathy Ross

 
 

...a blue bird sitting on her eggs in a lilac bush next to our deck. It was very easy to take the photos, because she was not going to budge for anything

  Blue Jay  
           
        Blue Jay  
 

Trisha

 
 

Female Blue Jay

 
    Blue Jay   Blue Jay  
 

Tom Baker

 
    Blue Jay      
 

Bill Reynolds

 
    Blue Jay      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    Blue Jay   Blue Jay  
           
    Blue Jay   Blue Jay  
           
    Blue Jay   Blue Jay  

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Blue Jay
JMC Nature Photos
 
  Blue Jay  
  Blue Jays
jt893x
 
  Blue Jays  
  Blue Jay
Joshua Mayer
 
  Blue Jay  
 
About

Cyanocitta cristata

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this bird.

 
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Other Videos
 
  Birds USA... Blue Jays
groenelantaarn
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 1, 2014

Cyanocitta cristata
Mt Pleasant, Michigan, USA 02-01-2014

 
  Blue Jay - January 26, 2014
Don Gagnon
 
   
 
About

Published on Jan 26, 2014

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Wilderness Garden, Gagnon Wildlife Habitat, Pottersville, Somerset, Massachusetts, Sunday morning, January 26, 2014, 10:59 AM - Canon PowerShot SX50 HS MVI_71788; 8 sec.

 
  Blue Jay, "Fly Away" - December 4, 2013
Don Gagnon
 
   
 
About

Published on Dec 4, 2013

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), Gagnon Wilderness Habitat, Pottersville, Somerset, Massachusetts, Wednesday afternoon, December 4, 2013, 12:43 PM - Canon PowerShot SX50 HS MVI_57998; 30 sec.

Music: "Fly Away-UPPM" by KT (Rock, 0:28)

 
  The Blue Jay Ep. 3 - LoveBirds - Short documentary
LesleytheBirdNerd
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 6, 2013

Video content is owned by Lesley

Music is owned by Dick kait check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Dickkait

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Luciearl
10/24/2021

Location: Lake Shore

Every morning for 3 yrs. the blue jays make a visit for peanuts in the shell. If I forget, they'll let me know. I'll hear them begging outside

Blue Jay

 
 

Nanna Bonnie
5/1/2021

Location: Yellow Medicine County

Just 1 feeding at my feeders

 

 
  Ramona Abrego

Location: Washington and Becker Counties

Blue Jay

 
  Lynn Rubey
10/28/2019

Location: Ortonville Bike Trail

The Blue Jay turned and looked at me and my grand daughter before going back to feeding.

Blue Jay

 
  Kathy Ross
6/4/2017

Location: Anoka County

...a blue bird sitting on her eggs in a lilac bush next to our deck. It was very easy to take the photos, because she was not going to budge for anything

Blue Jay

 
  Trisha
12/9/2016

Female Blue Jay

Blue Jay

 
  Gregory Gilman
2/24/2015

Location: Rochester, MN

Blue Jay

 
  Tom Baker
5/1/2011

Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area

Blue Jay

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Afton State Park

Agassiz Dunes SNA

Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit

Baker Park Reserve

Banning State Park

Beaver Creek Valley State Park

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Big Woods Heritage Forest WMA

Black Lake Bog SNA

Blaine Preserve SNA

Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Blanket Flower Prairie SNA

Blue Devil Valley SNA

Blue Mounds State Park

Bonanza Prairie SNA

Boot Lake SNA

Brownsville Bluff SNA

Buffalo River State Park

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Bur Oak WMA

Camden State Park

Cannon River Trout Lily SNA

Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA

Cannon River Wilderness Area

Carley State Park

Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit

Carver Park Reserve

Cedar Mountain SNA

Cedar Rock SNA

Chamberlain Woods SNA

Charles A. Lindbergh State Park

Cherry Grove Blind Valley SNA

Chimney Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Cleary Lake Regional Park

Clifton E. French Regional Park

Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA

Clinton Prairie SNA

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve

Crystal Spring SNA

Des Moines River SNA

Dodge Nature Center

Dry Sand WMA

Edward Velishek Memorial WMA

Elm Creek Park Reserve

Falls Creek SNA

Flandrau State Park

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

Fort Snelling State Park

Franconia Bluffs SNA

Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glacial Lakes Preserve

Greenleaf Lake SRA

Greenwater Lake SNA

Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

Gustafson’s Camp SNA

Hampton Woods WMA

Hardscrabble Woods / MG Tusler
Sanctuary

Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

Hastings SNA

Hayes Lake State Park

Helen Allison Savanna SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Hythecker Prairie SNA

Interstate State Park

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Iron Springs Bog SNA

Itasca State Park

Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary SNA

Jay Cooke State Park

Jensen Memorial WMA

John A. Latsch State Park

John Murtaugh Memorial WMA

John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA

Kasota Prairie

Kasota Prairie SNA

Keller Regional Park

Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit

Kilen Woods State Park

Laible Woods

Lake Byllesby Regional Park

Lake Carlos State Park

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Lake Shetek State Park

Lawrence Creek SNA

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Lester Lake SNA

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Maplewood Heights Park

Maplewood State Park

Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA

McCarthy Beach State Park

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Mille Lacs WMA

Minneopa State Park

Minnesota Valley NWR, Long Meadow Lake Unit

Minnesota Valley NWR, Louisville Swamp Unit

Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit

Mississippi River County Park

Monson Lake State Park

Moose Lake State Park

Morton Outcrops SNA

Mound Prairie SNA

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve

Myre-Big Island State Park

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

North Fork Zumbro Woods SNA

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Hoffman Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Rengstorf Unit

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

Phelps Lake WMA

Pin Oak Prairie SNA

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Potato Lake SNA

Prairie Bush Clover SNA

Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit

Quarry Park SNA

Regal Meadow

Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

Rice Lake State Park

Ripley Esker SNA

Ritter Farm Park

River Terrace Prairie SNA

River Warren Outcrops SNA

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

Rockville County Park

Rushford Sand Barrens SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

St. Croix State Park

Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area

Savage Fen SNA

Savanna Portage State Park

Schaefer Prairie

Sedan Brook Prairie SNA

Seminary Fen SNA

Seven Mile Creek County Park

Seven Sisters Prairie

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Spring Lake Regional Park

Springbrook Nature Center

Staffanson Prairie

Stanley Eddy Memorial Park Reserve

Strandness Prairie

Sunfish Lake Park

Tamarack Nature Center

Tiedemann WMA

Townsend Woods SNA

Twin Lakes SNA

Two Rivers Aspen Prairie Parkland SNA

Uncas Dunes SNA

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA

Vermillion River WMA

Westwood Hills Nature Center

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Whitewater State Park

Wild River State Park

Wolsfeld Woods SNA

Wood-Rill SNA

Woodbury WMA

Woodland Trails Park

Zumbro Falls Woods SNA

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

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