Birds @ Wings

American Crow
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
Canada Goose
Common Loon
Golden Eagle
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Lewis' Woodpecker
Osprey
Pine Grosbeak
Red-tailed Hawk
Rufous Hummingbird
Steller's Jay
Swans
Warbling Verio
Western Meadowlark
Wood Duck

Blue Jay

Recognition

Anyone who has tried to sleep in can recognize the Blue Jay by its noisy and boisterous call. It is a striking beautiful bird - blue, black, and white. When frightened its pointed crest bristles out like a bottle brush.

Haunts

It prefers living in mixed woods that are relatively open. Where present the Blue Jays are common visitors to bird feeders. Their loud cries warn other birds of an approaching predators.

Schedule

The Blue Jay is a recent immigrant to British Columbia with one of the first confirmed nesting sites in British Columbia occurred at Windermere.

Field Notes

The vivid azure -blue color is a result of a peculiar inner structure of the feather, if the feather is crushed, the blue color disappears. Blue Jays commonly perform a behavior known as "anting" in which they catch ants and wipe them among their wing feathers. It is believed the ant's strong formic acid secretions soothe the jay's skins irritations caused by molting.