Birds of the Arboretum: Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata

Blue Jay — Cyanocitta cristata

Order	Passeriformes
Family	Corvidae
Genus	Cyanocitta
Species	cristata

The Blue Jay is a common songbird that most people are familiar with in their backyard. Jays are large, intelligent birds with tight family bonds and complex social systems. Their screechy and noisy calls can be heard from great distances and Blue Jays are known to mimic the jeers of hawks.

The Blue Jay is a large bird with a blue crest and blue top, black bars on the wing and tail feathers, and pale gray below with a black "necklace."

Cornell's All About Birds: Blue Jay