Blue Jay Eggs

Blue jay eggs

Egg Description: Bluish or light brown with brownish spots.

How many eggs does a blue jay live?

Eggs. 4-5, sometimes 3-7. Greenish or buff, sometimes pale blue, spotted with brown and gray. Incubation is by both parents (but female does more), about 16-18 days.

Do Blue Jays still eggs?

Blue jays lay eggs in the spring and summer, usually between the months of March and July. Mid-April until the end of May is peak season for breeding. The average nest size is 3-7 eggs but females can have up to two broods per year. With an incubation period of only 16-18 days there is plenty of time.

What does bluebird eggs look like?

Bluebird Eggs are powder blue (no dark spots), sometimes white. It is not common to have feathers in a bluebird nest, but this one had a few. The swoopy nest to the right has a leaf in it which may have been stuck to the mix of pine needles and grass used.

What time of year do Blue Jays lay eggs?

Generally, though, eggs are laid between March and July. Peak laying season occurs in early April in warmer climates and mid-May in colder climates. For example, in Michigan, blue jay egg sightings have been reported by May 5.

What do baby Blue Jay eggs look like?

Blue jay eggs are usually 1 to 1.3 inches long with a width of 0.7 to 0.9 inches. They can be light blue, light green or yellowish-brown in color with brownish or grayish spots.

Do Blue Jays recognize humans?

Studies show Blue Jays remember human faces, and if the birds take an interest in you, they might follow you around.

Do Blue Jays reuse their nests?

Once the chicks fledge, they stay with their parents as a family group throughout the summer and fall. Blue Jay pairs will sometimes refurbish and reuse old nests, or even use a nest built by other individuals.

Where do Blue Jays lay their eggs?

The nests are 3 to 10 m from the ground, in a tree or shrub. The Blue Jay often nests in settled areas, sometimes close to buildings. During the nesting season, especially in the more remote parts of its range, the Blue Jay may be quiet and unobtrusive even near its nest.

How many times a year does a blue jay lay eggs?

In the north, only one brood per year may be produced. In southern regions, however, Blue Jays may raise two broods each year. Blue Jays breed from March through July.

Do hawks eat blue jay eggs?

While they will eat just about anything they can catch, hawks typically prefer to hunt smaller prey, such as rodents or birds. Blue jays are a type of bird that is often on the menu for hawks. Blue jay eggs are a favorite food of Cooper's hawks, a type of hawk that is found across North America.

Do blue jays eat squirrels?

They'll steal feed from squirrels, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, but it is a rather uncommon occurrence. Blue jays are opportunistic. A majority of their diet consists of acorns, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruits. Insects become an important part of their diet during the breeding season.

What month do bluebirds lay their eggs?

The female Bluebird begins laying eggs between 6 and 7 days after the nest is completed. The overall timing of egg-laying throughout the Bluebird's range reflects the timing of nest building. Egg-laying begins during February and March in the warmer southern states and March and April in the northern and colder states.

Can you touch bluebird eggs?

DON'T worry that monitoring will make the parents desert the nest. Bluebirds tolerate human presence. Touching the nest will not make the birds leave--your mother just told you that to keep you from harassing them. Most birds don't have a good sense of smell.

Why do bluebirds abandon their eggs?

In some cases, birds are known to seek out areas with predators for nesting due to their suppression of other predatory species. Eggs and nestlings may be abandoned for other reasons, such as inadequate food, poor weather, or the death of the parent(s).

Do Blue Jays come back to the same place every year?

Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. No one has worked out why they migrate when they do.

What do blue jay nest look like?

Nesting Habits of Blue Jays The Blue Jay nest is a bulky cup made of twigs, leaves, roots, grass, moss, and sometimes held together by mud. Usually placed between 8 to 30 feet above the ground.

Do Blue Jays nest in houses?

Provide a floor area of about 8 x 8 inches with a ceiling also around 8 inches high. A sloping roof with open sides and front is perfect. Birds that generally nest on trees are more likely to nest on houses as well, just like the Blue Jays.

How can you tell if a blue jay egg is alive?

It should have a smooth, unmarked shell if it is still alive. Shine a bright flashlight through the egg in a dark room, and look closely at the inside. If the egg is alive you will see veins running through it. The process of removing dead or rotten eggs during incubation that uses this method is candling.