Welcome to BirdForum, Cathy, from all of us on staff here. Please send me suggestions for the feeding the baby blue jays--unfortunately it is an incredibly windy day and the nest must be high in the tree. :t: I'm glad you were able to get ahold of a local professional for help. Blue Jays are also excellent mimics. I found a baby blue jay. Animal matter can include insects, carrion, small birds and mammals, and the eggs of other birds. All I want to do is help this baby bird. In the wild blue jays consume about 20 different types of food from fruits to insects. I have 44 years of experience, and it's not like we are running a meth lab here or something like that. Like other Corvids (Jays, Crows, and Ravens), Blue Jays are omnivorous and can eat and digest both animal and plant matter. If you get in touch with a rehabber that isn’t able to take the birds right away, they may instruct you on how to care for them until they can pick them up. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. jaime lee on July 24, 2019: can blue jays be tamed? Not to mention they are trained in exactly how to care for them. Hope someone has some answers. Although not a primary food source for squirrels, the squirrelswill eat the eggs and young of Blue Jays when food is in short supply or it's veryconvenient to do so. Despite the fact that they are somewhat small in the world of wildlife, blue jays are surprisingly aggressive and fearless. For at least six weeks after hatching, the chicks are totally dependent on their parents to bring them food, and the parents bring whatever they can find. Like most nestlings, blue jays do not exhibit their orange and blue colors early on. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The female takes care of all incubation. Anyway I told her I couldent do that and I needed some mealworms. My guess is they are edible, almost every bird is ( scavenging birds should be cooked longer). I beleive everyone should do what they can to save what they can! Sarge - Move to Survival Food. Anyway, I could care less if the FBI comes a knockin on my door for me saving a baby blue jay. I don't want to over feed him but don't want to under feed him either. Predators of adult blue jays include falcons, owls and hawks while nestling blue jays may become prey to snakes, crows, squirrels, raccoons, cats, other blue jays and birds of prey. BTW, it makes me laugh to think of the OSBI arresting people for raising blue jays. Those baby blue jays certainly did give you your money’s worth for some entertainment. Good luck to the others that asked for advise! We talk about all things related to backyard birding and bird watching. Little does my grandma know, as she watches the birds fly and sing out her window, that Blue Jays actually readily kill and eat other song birds. In most cases of a nest with begging babies, the adults are nearby finding food and will come back periodically to feed the young. I was sitting in the Cascade Dining Hall enjoying my breakfast looking out the window, when I saw a Blue Jay eating … Mostly, that means seeds, nuts, and insects. There are lots of cats around (good hunters too--they caught a small heron or bittern yesterday). It may not display this or other websites correctly. I started feeding the blue jays peanuts a year ago and have not had a problem. Their diet plans depend on the species and whether it is an adult individual bird or a baby blue jay. In fact, blue jays are credited with spreading oak forests across the U.S. Blue Jays love raw peanuts in the shell unsalted. If their parents bring them a worm, they’ll eat it. The parents must also take size into consideration, very young nestlings often cannot yet eat large earthworms. Fortunately blue jays aren’t really capable of doing any damage, but it’s still an unnerving experience. In the wild, they often mimic Red-shouldered and Red-tailed hawks, and sometimes other species. Too late in weekend to get "professional" help. If you find yourself caring for baby blue jays that have been abandoned while waiting for help from a rehabber, pet food or commercially sold baby bird food will help to meet their nutritional needs. JavaScript is disabled. The four types of this bird are Florida Blue Jays, Interior Blue Jays, Coastal Blue Jays, and Northern Blue Jays. This Woodpecker Will Drill Into Your Skull And Eat Your Brains—If You’re a Baby Dove Think those needle noses were only made for eating insects? baby blue jays have an outstanding digestive system. I have never tried to tell the difference between male and female blue jays. Adult blue jays bring nuts, seeds, insects and small animals back to the nest for their chicks. If you click a link on our site then make a purchase we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Those guys would sooner run over a songbird than try to save it. Tryed to find a nest but coulden't find one so put him in a box and went to the feed store where they have baby chicks etc. They can feed themselves after about six weeks but stay with their parents for about 12 weeks. the baby blue jays learn young that they need alot of food of nutritional values. Do not try to raise the bird yourself, put it back or take it to a licensed wildlife center. Baby blue jays eat just about anything their parents bring them. Are tweezers the best method of feeding? They combine beauty, brains, and spirit in a sleek three-ounce package topped with a perky little crest. ahh yes. Thanks for the tip on the nesting box. Do we put a small dish in with him? When a nest is in jeopardy, both blue jay parents sometimes unite to attack or chase off predators. That is a lot of constant time and attention. Learn more about us here. This, in turn, populates the environment with foliage. He strongly prefers the beef cat food. I doubt God or this bird care if I am licensed to do anything but give him a little food and love after a very traumatic experience. Today blue jays arrived and ate all of the chicks. They also need balanced food with enough protein and nutrients to grow properly. Before we moved last time we had 100's of jays in the back yard squawking for peanuts. As with most birds, baby blue jays eat more or less the same things that their parents eat. Blue jay usually builds its nests on oak trees and we know that this tree is a symbol for longevity and strength. At least he had one comfortable week. I love Blue Jays. baby blue jays have an outstanding digestive system. Many nestlings need to be fed every 20 minutes or so for 12 to 14 hours a day! I wouldn't exactly call them friendly. This is why the knowledge and expertise of a rehabber is their best bet for survival. Blue jays are extremely smart, like others in the Corvidae family (i.e., ravens and crows), displaying problem-solving skills, ingenuity in feeding strategies, and excellent defensive measures. Blue jays have strong black bills which they use for cracking nuts, usually while holding them with their feet, and for eating corn, grains and seeds. (06/22/2007) By Sheila D. How do I get rid of Blue Jays? To find a rehabber near you, Google search the name of your state plus “wildlife rehabilitation”, or check your states department of the environment page for a list of licensed rehabbers. If you need to feed a baby blue jay, use either moist dog/cat food or commercially sold baby bird food, fed through an eye dropper. He has most feathers and sounds after reading this that he is one of those Fledge Blue Jay babies. You must log in or register to reply here. So many questions????? Mom feeds them regularly. We noticed two lumps in the snake. Male and female blue jays both take turns feeding the young, however it has been observed that males may often do the majority of the feeding. I also need help with this. They are occasional predators. If you’ve found a nest with baby blue jays you suspect is abandoned, don’t jump to any quick conclusions. But before I left, my sister wanted to show me the snake she had killed earlier that day before I had come over. While blue jays are not big nest-raiders themselves, they have to be on guard against other birds. That's great, Renata. Their large size, blue feathers, and distinctive call mean that just about anyone can recognize a blue jay. If it is injured, take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center or to a local vet -- it is illegal to keep blue jays and most other native birds under the Migratory Bird Act. Blue jays can live up to 17 years in captivity, “So I’ve got him for a while,” Williams laughs. WTG Sherry for saving that little bird. Good looking decoration feathers though. The jays were hanging out there and attacking my cats. Whatever a bluejay feels he can put into language, and not mere commonplace language, but straight out and out book talk, and there is such a command of language. You’ll want to have a source of fresh water nearby for them to drink from and in which to bathe. Blue Jays build stick nests in trees and lay about 3 to 6 eggs per clutch. Am I doing something wrong. Caterpillars and seeds are probably more common, but earthworms certainly make their way into many baby blue jay’s diets. We also participate in other affiliate programs. Hi, Renata, I see this is your first post so a warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum. Then there is plant matter including corn, seeds, etc. Getting the tongue caught in the tweezers can be a problem so be careful. Nests of all kinds can be vulnerable to attacks from predators, such as Blue Jays, crows, grackles, and many other species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. So what kind of food do blue jays eat? Fledgling blue jays by: Anonymous Found 2 baby blue jays in my yard Saturday. Adults can often be seen eating large acorns, and are drawn to feeders full of things like peanuts and sunflower seeds. I have the same exact problem, we have a fledgeling blue jay that was just denested tonight, several cats gathering around and no defense for the little thing. In all likelihood, if you’re dive bombed by a blue jay, you were walking too close to their nest. What about water? Blue jays are an easily recognizable, perhaps even iconic, songbird. If the nest is located in a natural position, such as in a tree, there is usually very little that can be done to protect the nest. Blue jays are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and animals. For the short term, dog or cat food (moist, fed through a dropper), or specialty baby bird food mix, is often used. The nestlings, (baby blue jays) are attacked by Crows, snakes, cats,opossums, raccoons. Feed every 30 minutes until bird becomes a fledgling then about every hour. While they remember where they put most of those acorns, they always forget some of them, which means that each blue jay ends up planting a bunch of oak trees every fall. Mom is still feeding them as of Tuesday. Hi everyone. The predators of Blue Jay adults include Hawks and Owls. You are using an out of date browser. Baby blue jays eat the same diets as their parents and eat … Too late in weekend to get "professional" help. 2 0. The bird’s diet consists of mostly seeds and insects, such as acorns, beechnuts, caterpillars, grasshoppers and beetles. If you have determined that the baby blue jays do need help, it is important to contact a qualified bird rehabber. Ours has both tail feathers and full feathering on the wings and rest of the body. Jesse enjoys bird watching and feeding birds in his backyard, learning about the different species, and sharing his knowledge and experiences. In fact, there’s not really much evidence to suggest that blue jays are nest-raiders. and if so how do you tame it.how do blue jays sound?are blue jays friendly to other types of birds/ Acorns are a favorite for blue jays, and each fall adult birds will hide somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 acorns in the ground, saving them for the winter months. Per suggestions above, unless we hear of other suggestions, we will smash up earthworms or crickets and add a tad of water and droplet them into the birds mouths--they did not even run away from us--they just opened their mouths and squaked--they are hungry lil' ones. Blue jay diet plans are similar throughout the subspecies. Provide a source for hydration… and cleanliness. I think Blue Jays are awsome creatures, if you really want to hunt them that's fine. Blue Jays tolerate other birds most of the time, but not always. The orphan jay I have been raising for 10 days eats blue berries, cherries, grapes and cat food. I tryed to give him a whole one but he wasn't gettig the idea of it so I cut it for him and put it in his mouth which I got him to take 2 full size meal worms. Was considering some ground up earthworms. They are busy with more serious issues than an animal lover like me that rescued a baby bird. The media would have a field day if that happend where I live so I don't want to hear it. Answer (1 of 11): A baby Blue Jay, from the day it hatches is fed a diet of insects by their mother and father, before long the chick is eating the same food as its parents. He will stay with me until I can find an official rehabber. ahh yes. This is your best chance to be a part of this beautiful development. If you find yourself caring for baby blue jays that have been abandoned while waiting for help from a rehabber, pet food or commercially sold baby bird food will help to meet their nutritional needs. As you know, a typical blue jay has a large variety of the different foods they eat to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Put them in a tote on my back porch. I would like advice - different foods others have had success giving to Jays. Within 3 days the blue jays were gone. They were able after 2 days to jump up and sit on the rim of the tote but still unable to fly. How do you get rid of blue jays that are eating all of the chicks in my birdhouses? So we know what adult blue jays eat, but what do baby blue jays eat? Worms are a little hard to find, since they’re usually underground, but occasionally a heavy rain or human activity brings a bunch of worms to the surface, and the blue jays will definitely go after them. crashdive123. He ate well from morning until night and slept on my chest, and it broke my heart when he went into spasms one night and died. Captive Blue Jays sometimes learn to imitate human speech and meowing cats. That’s when most blue jay attacks occur. I do know that they stay in families for a long time. Feb 25, 2018 - "Now there is more to a bluejay than any other animal. Blue jays like to build their nests high up in trees and they hide them well, so it’s rare to spot them. Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, mothers, and fathers all stick pretty close together. My cats are safe again. HELP - 2 Baby Blue Jays and lots of Cats Please send me suggestions for the feeding the baby blue jays--unfortunately it is an incredibly windy day and the nest must be high in the tree. I've heard to feed cooked/boiled hamburger and dog or cat food but am unsure of any of these. When we participated in the squirrel rescue after the hurricanes last year, we fed them every couple hours--I assume we'll do the same with these lil ones too? I talked to a vetrinarian we know and he said to feed the baby blue jay some cooked oatmeal with milk and I asked him about water and he said a little bottled water, no tap (chemicals). Blue Jays are disliked by many people for their aggressive ways, but they are far less aggressive than many other species. He is a vocabularized geyser" Mark Twain. There are lots of cats around (good hunters too--they caught a small heron or bittern yesterday). They don't like owls, not even plastic ones. The lady told me at the desk to do everyone a favor and throw the "damn" thing in a field and let it die. I had some eating out of my hand. Because you could easily miss this quick process, you would have to watch a nest non-stop (not a few minutes at a time) for at least a few hours before you could determine if the babies have potentially been abandoned. During incubation (about 17 days) and the first week or so after the babies are hatched, her mate brings all food to her and to the chicks. Knowing what do baby blue jays eat on a daily basis is the first important step in bird care. Flexibility. The parents, though, are fierce protectors and won’t hesitate to chase of potential predators. I feed abandoned baby blue jays dog food chunks soaked in water. In a study performed on blue jay diet that looked at their stomach contents, researchers found remains of eggs or nestlings in only 1% of adult blue jays, which hardly makes them stand out as “egg snatchers” over other birds. I jumped up and grabbed him before he got pounced by 5 Labradoodles that would of loved to have him for lunch. Baby blue jays eat just about anything their parents bring them. See reader photos of Blue Jay. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=36564. I saved a fledgling blue jay from a busy street and he lived for a week. The Blue Jay Diet. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a crow-sized omnivorous bird, with one of the most varied diets of all avians. Mostly, that means seeds, nuts, and insects. 01-02-2009, 11:09 PM. In many states, only certified rehab specialists are allowed to be in possession of wild birds. I use blunt ended tweezers and offer small bites of food, it's not necessary to poke the tweezers down the throat as they will go after the food. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This is especially true around May and June, when the babies are just learning to fly. Sign up to our mailing list and join over 1000 other birders. This is a widely held belief, and it’s not entirely clear why this is so commonly believed. Instead of trying to lecture does anyone know the answer to this. Baby blue jays eat the same diets as their parents and eat whatever food their parents bring them. Please keep us posted on how your young charge fares, will you? Blue jays can be beneficial for the environment due to their proclivity of "planting" seeds and acorns. While it is hard to say which foods they eat the best, it is fair to say that most of the food that they eat is not cultivated. Some of us out here don't worry about the FEDS busting in over a baby blue jay. However in general you should not attempt to do this yourself, and we will talk about why below. In some situ She told me she hated Blue Jays. Care of baby birds can be very tricky. The blue jay prey… People who’ve watched robins steadfastly care for nestlings and then seen a jay grab them one by one, usually don’t share my feelings. Blue Jays also enjoy eating from suet feeders, but be sure not to leave the suet for too long in the summer months as it will go rotten. Both parents feed the baby blue jays, and the babies are totally dependent on their parents for about the first six weeks after hatching. Its that or kill him. That’s fine, since by the time acorns are available the babies will have left the nest and grown to adult size. I enjoy watching the baby sparrows grow in the birdhouses. Blue Jay in Spring Hill, Florida, by S. Hunter Spenceley. It got expensive since they were eating 5 lbs per day and my wife was always feeling sorry for the hungry Blue Jays. What Can Baby Blue Jays Eat. Hi, Oksana, and welcome to BirdForum from all of us on staff here. I bought 3 dozen and brought him home. Acorns are a favorite food of blue jays, although they’re a bit too big for the babies to eat. There are many feral cats around so I put them in a cat carrier. But I just wanted to say, government or no government, I know that little bird would have been smashed by a car if I hadn't picked him up. So, if you choose blue jay as your spirit animal, it means that you are able to endure many difficult situations in your life. You never saw a bluejay get stuck for a word. They also have been known to occasionally raid the nests of other birds, eating their eggs and chicks. I was at a clients house grooming there Labradoodles when I was about to leave saw this little bird jumping around on the ground. https://animalstime.com/blue-jay-facts-blue-jay-behavior-migration-diet-habitat As you know, a typical blue jay has a large variety of the different foods they eat to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.