A highly intelligent loudmouth. The jay is known for its love of acorns which it often leaves hidden. These forgotten snacks are credited with the rapid spread of oaks after the last Ice Age.
Common names: jay, Eurasian jay, acorn jay
Scientific name: Garrulus glandarius
Family: Corvidae (crows)
Habitat: broadleaf and coniferous woodland
Diet: acorns, insects, seeds, fruits and sometimes young birds, eggs and small mammals
Predators: birds of prey
Origin: native
The jay has pale pink plumage, a black tail and white rump. Its head has a pale crown with black streaks, and black facial markings and bill. Its wings are black and white with a panel of distinctive electric-blue feathers.
It has a wingspan of around 55cm and is 35cm from tail to beak.
Credit: John Bridges / WTML
Jays hop around on the ground in search of acorns, and for places to hide them. Storing acorns like this is called ‘caching’ and provides the birds with food in leaner times. However, not all acorns are found again, which means some are left to grow into oak trees. Jays will also sometimes take eggs and young birds from nests.
April is usually the beginning of the nesting period for jays. Pairs mate for life and work together to construct their messy-looking nests. Nests are built in trees and shrubs using twigs, with roots and hair for lining, where the female will lay four to five eggs. Eggs are incubated for 16 days, with chicks fledging at around 22 days old.
Credit: Alius Imago / Alamy Stock Photo
Jays are widespread across the UK, apart from northern Scotland, and are active throughout the year. They favour broadleaf woodland but are also found in conifer woodland, scrub and urban areas.
Jays are most noticeable in autumn when they’re foraging for and burying acorns, but they can be seen all year round.
You’re likely to hear a jay before you see it – it has a characteristic ‘screeching’ call. It’s also a skilled mimic, sometimes copying the songs and calls of other birds.
Audio: Andrew Harrop / xeno-canto.org
Credit: Ian Proctor / Alamy Stock Photo
The population is currently stable; however, persecution, the loss of wooded habitats and poor acorn crops can all pose a threat to jays.
