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Bird Sounds: Blue Jay

Photo Credit
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Blue Jay Calls

Written By: Heidi Stonehill Executive Editor
Blue Jay Calls (250.03 KB)

The Blue Jay, with its striking plumage and bold personality, is a common sight and sound in backyards across North America. This intelligent songbird, with its vibrant coat of cobalt blue, crisp white chest, black collar, and bold crest, is easy to identify and so much fun to watch!

Recognizing the Blue Jay

  • Size and Shape: Measuring around 11–12 inches, the blue jay is a medium-sized songbird with a strong, sturdy build.
  • Coloration: Their plumage is a breathtaking combination of bright blue on the back, wings, and crest, contrasting with a stark white chest and underparts. The head features a black collar and a distinctive blue crest that can be raised or lowered depending on mood.
  • Unique Traits: Listen for their loud, varied calls, often described as a harsh “jay!” or a mimicking whistle.

The Life of a Blue Jay

Blue jays are known for their bold personalities and intelligence. They are often seen perched prominently on branches, surveying their territory with a watchful eye.

These adaptable birds have a diverse diet that includes acorns, nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates like lizards and nestling birds. Their sharp beak and strong feet make them efficient foragers.

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Blue jays are agile flyers and can maneuver through trees with impressive dexterity. They are also known for their playful antics, often engaging in aerial acrobatics and chases.

Where to Find Blue Jays

Blue jays are widespread across North America, inhabiting deciduous forests, woodlands, parks, and even backyards. They are particularly common in areas with access to a variety of food sources, such as oak trees and bird feeders.

Attracting Blue Jays to Your Backyard

  • Offer a variety of food sources: Place bird feeders filled with black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet cakes. Scatter nuts and acorns on the ground.
  • Provide nesting sites: Plant tall trees with sturdy branches where they can build their nests.
  • Create a water source: Add a birdbath to your yard to provide them with fresh water for drinking and bathing.

By creating a welcoming habitat, you can increase your chances of attracting these intelligent and entertaining birds to your backyard and witness their fascinating behaviors firsthand.

The blue jay is a captivating addition to the North American avifauna, captivating us with its stunning appearance, bold personality, and diverse vocalizations. By learning more about these remarkable birds, we can appreciate their vital role in the ecosystem and ensure their continued presence for generations to come.

Here, you can identify the sounds and bird song of the blue jay. Compliments of The Macaulay Library at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Click here to listen to the sounds of other birds!

Have you heard a blue jay? Add your comments below. Be sure to let us know where you live or where you’ve heard this bird sound before!

Bird Sounds
About The Author
Heidi Stonehill

Heidi Stonehill

Executive Editor

Heidi Stonehill is the Executive Editor for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, joining the team in 2001. As such, she manages the content development of the Almanac’s line of wall, engagement, box, and special...
Read More from Heidi Stonehill

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Comments

<span>Michelle Leblanc</span> Fri, 11/14/2025 - 07:21
I love our year round Blue Jays up here in Nova Scotia. When I sit on our back deck, I call to them and they always come and they also follow me all around the property. Yes, they are looking for a peanut in the shell but I like to think it's me (lol). Cheeky and sociable for sure.
<span>Suzi</span> Fri, 11/14/2025 - 07:08
No start/stop button, so no Blue Jay sounds
<span>Kathleen Varzino</span> Fri, 11/14/2025 - 06:51
I live in Bradenton Florida, I feed the bluejays peanuts in the shell. I leave them on my balcony lanai. Every morning if I am not quick enough I have one bird that will call out to me until I get him some. Very intelligent birds. They love my birdbath and I now have a group that comes with other birds too like Red Bellied Woodpeckers and Cardinals. It's absolutely entertaining to watch them.
<span>Anne</span> Fri, 11/08/2024 - 09:49
The Blue Jay is Blue-ti-ful ~
<span>Mary J.</span> Sat, 04/20/2024 - 13:22
I live in the suburbs of Washington DC, in Maryland. I feed Blue Jays shelled peanuts on my 8th floor balcony. The first one that gets there, every morning, will perch on the railing, calling out very loudly. After that, he will go ahead and grab a peanut. I feel like he’s calling out to his friends to “come and get it”. The others will come shortly after that. Or maybe he is being possessive and telling them to stay away?
<span>Cynthia</span> Fri, 04/18/2025 - 10:29
I think Peanuts are their favorite! I live in Kansas and buy peanuts for them, although other birds eat them, too. It's fun to watch them pick out just the "right: one. Sometimes they fit three in their mouth!
<span>Peggy Bartolomei</span> Fri, 04/19/2024 - 07:03
No sound.
<span>Skye</span> Sat, 01/27/2024 - 10:16
I live in southeastern Louisiana, near Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans, LA.
<span>Janis Hagan</span> Mon, 09/05/2022 - 22:46
I live in Navarro County, Texas on the south side of Richland chambrrs lake I hear jays all the time.
<span>Deborah Ortega</span> Sun, 03/10/2019 - 12:37
I live in Westminster Colorado and I see many blue jays. I usually see two together but once I saw 5 together. They visit my yard and some times they fight over the food they are aggressive and chase away the bird that dares to eat at the same time.