Jay (Garrulus Glandarius)

The Jay belongs to the same family as the Crow and the bird’s brightly coloured plumage makes it one of the most handsome corvids. The bold blue wing patches especially are a treat for the eye. The bird can raise its striped crown feathers into a crest as shown in the model.

The Jay is a shy resident of forests and parks that one is more likely to hear than see.

When confronted with danger, the bird will let out a loud and harsh screech that helps warn other animals. This is why the Jay is regarded as the sentinel of the forest. In addition to this grating shriek (a ‘wrak wrak’ or ‘scaaarg scaaarg’ sound), the bird can also produce melodious tones. After all, just like the other Crow species the Jay is a songbird.

The Jay’s habitat covers all of Europe, North Africa and North Asia.

They live in all kinds of forests with underrowth, in pairs or small groups, and they eat all sorts of food including nuts, seeds, fruit, insects and small mammals.

In autumn, Jays gather acorns and use their beaks to bury them for their winter stores if necessary. Jays have the ability to remember where they bury most of the acorns.

However, a small portion of the acorns will be forgotten and thus left to germinate. This way, the Jay also plays an important part in the regeneration of oak woodlands.

The nest is usually built in a tree, made from twigs and sticks and lined with hair. Jays lay one brood of 5-7 eggs between April and July. The parents take turns incubating the eggs (16-17 days). The young spend about three weeks in the nest. They are fed by both parents.

Length = 34 cm, wingspan = 54 cm.