Blue jays are songbirds that belong to the Corvidae family. They’re native to the eastern United States forests. They inhabit deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests throughout eastern and central United States, and southern Canada. Find out more!

They have a pronounced crest on their head, which is called a crown of feathers. This crown can be raised or lowered depending on their mood. When the crown is raised, it makes a prominent peak and it means that the blue jay is excited, surprised or aggressive. When it’s bristled out in all directions, it means that the jay is frightened. When the crown is flat, then the jay is relaxed.

It has a lavender blue plumage with a white face and an off white underbelly. They have black collared necks and black streaks that go down the sides of their heads. Their bill, legs and eyes are also black. Their main wing and tail feathers are a combination of black, blue and white.

Blue jays are omnivores, which means that they have a plant and animal based diet. Their diet consists of fruits, berrie, acorns, seeds, nuts, insects, mice, frogs, eggs and nestlings.

They’re known for burying food so that they can eat it later. Some seeds and nuts are never recovered and grow into trees and other plants, which means that blue jays are an important part of the ecosystem.

Compared to other birds, they’re relatively slow fliers. They fly at speeds of between 32 and 40 kilometers per hour, or 20 and 25 miles per hour. Due to their slow speed, they’re easy prey for hawks and owls.