Jay

Jay

At a glance

Eurasian jays are the most colourful member of the UK corvid family. They are easy to identify from their bright blue wing patch and can often be seen in gardens in autumn caching nuts and acorns.

Key facts

Scientific name: Garrulus glandarius
Status: Resident breeding species

Breeding pairs: 170,000

Conservation status: Green
Length: 35 cm
Wingspan: 52 – 58 cm
Weight: 140 – 190 g
Typical lifespan: 4 years

What do jays look like?

Jays have pinkish-brown upperparts and underparts and a white rump, vent and upper nd underrtail coverts. They have rufous lesser and median coverts on their upperwings, with bright blue primary and outer coverts finely barred with black. The rest of the upperwing has black and dark grey feathers with white edges. Their tails are black.

They have white crowns with black streaks, and their forehead, lores, chin, and throat are white. There is a conspicuous black malar stripe. The nape and sides of the head are pinkish-brown.

They have strong black bills, with pale rictal bristles, light blue eyes, and pinkish-brown legs and feet. Both adults are similar.

Juvenile jays resemble adults but they have darker plumage, a greyer bill, and their eyes and legs are brighter.

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How do jays breed?

Jays form long-term pair bonds and are solitary nesters that start breeding in April. Both male and female jays build the nest which is a deep cup-shaped platform made from twigs situated in the fork of a tree or the centre of a shrub. It is lined with soft plant materials and hair.

Jays lay 3-10 smooth and glossy pale blue-green eggs with buff-coloured speckles which are incubated by the female alone for 16-17 days. Chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 19-20 days after hatching. They depend on their parents for 7-8 weeks and reach sexual maturity at 1-2 years.

What do jays eat?

Jays eat acorns, beech mast, seeds berries and insects. They will also eat small rodents, bats, and baby birds and eggs.

Jays are known for hoarding food by burying it in the ground and will remember where hundreds of stashes have been hidden.

Jay

Where can I see jays?

Jays are found all over the UK except in northern Scotland. They live in woodlands, parks and mature gardens all year round but are most obvious in the autumn when they fly out into the open in search of acorns.

What do jays sound like?

Fernand Deroussen/xeno-canto

Did you know?

Several species of oak tree are dependent on the presence of jays to distribute their acorns. They have been recorded carrying single acorns as far as 20 km, and are credited with the rapid northward spread of oaks following the last ice age.

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26 Responses

  1. We have a pair of Jays coming to our back garden every day and hop around a large Oak Tree in a neighbors garden.

    The fun started when another pair arrived.

    Great to watch

  2. We were in the car with the children yesterday, driving along a friend’s driveway in Fulwood Park, Liverpool. The driveway is narrow with mature trees and shrubbery either side, there are also lots of mature gardens in the area. We were thrilled to spot a ‘Jay in January’ happily going about it’s business! The lovely bonus is, our youngest is now keen to learn more about bird spotting.

  3. I was at Calderstones Park in Liverpool with my handsome boyfriend at the weekend and saw a gorgeous Jay sitting there there in the Japanese garden, beautiful and striking, the Jay was also striking and flew away showing his colourful wings in the January sun.

  4. I saw a Jay a few days ago in Basingstoke. Today I found one in Winchester by a road but it was badly injured. I took it to a wildlife rescue centre, they said it was underweight and had sadly been mobbed by other corvids. They had plucked all the feathers of its head, and it was bleeding around its head and beak. It’s right eye had been so badly damaged there was nothing that could be done. Very sad but I was glad to get it some kind of help

  5. I’m in the NE and saw my first jay in Newton Aycliffe by the A167 in July 2023. I live in a semi rural area.

  6. I have a pair of breeding Jay’s on the edge of my garden as my garden back onto the railway with plenty of full size trees, but cos I put bird seed ,sunflower seed,peanuts ,fat balls stuffed coconuts and meal worms soaked in water for the chick’s anyway this Jay followed me down the road from front garden to front garden people kept stopping they couldn’t believe that I was being followed, they are very clever I think he wanted to see were I was getting the food from so followed me,collette. Bristol.

  7. I’ve had a Jay in my garden for about 3 years. It seems to be there all the time, Year round. I was really surprised today when I looked out and saw a pair of these beautiful birds. I understand that these birds are shy but the one that’s been here a while comes fairly close to me. Maybe it’s because I give him peanuts.

  8. Saw a beautiful Jay on the allotment in Plymouth. Hopping around and got very close to it. Lots of trees nearby so it must like it here.

  9. I have a Jay visit my garden fir the last two weeks…First time ever. It keeps getting chased away by a pair if magpies and even a woodpigeon which is a shame, but he’s beautiful. He’s eating nuts, berries and fat balls so I keep restocking for him! So pleased to have seen him. (Plymouth)

  10. Yesterday, for the first time, I have seen a new visitor to the garden and what a pretty sight. Wasn’t sure what it was, but due to its size and colour I presume it was a Jay. How exciting is this!

  11. 28june 2022 Today, i got a lovely suprise, i have seen a eurasian Jay
    it was next to my bird feeding table in my garden in the north east of england, its the first time ive seen a Jay, my husband and myself where thrilled to bits to see such a beautiful bird we had never seen before
    the blue on its wings where very vibrant
    i had such a job to find out what bird it was, but found it on here thank you

  12. I saw a jay in my garden. Today I’ve never spotted one before it was quite a treat . I was surprised as I live in the city in Birmingham . Never the less very pretty .

  13. Have had one Jay coming in then brings all the family usually 5 altogether, been coming in every year for 7 years. We are in Tiverton, Devon.

  14. I noticed on your website that you said jays are not found in Northern Scotland.I actually live in Cullen which is a small village on the Moray Firth on the North East coast of Scotland.I have been here for eight years and have watched them daily visiting my garden.Most years they have had two chick but sometimes three.Such beautiful birds.

    1. I live in Highlands and there is a Jay that regularly feeds from my bird feeders! Especially the fat balls!

  15. Just started noticing the birds during lock down. This morning got up to make a early cuppa and see a bird with a beak full of something hiding it in my plant pot with the pansies. I look up what the bird was and it was a Jay. Later I went to see what it had hidden in my plant pot and found a conker.Do they eat conkers?

  16. Friday morning there was a Jay feeding from a brown cob attached to fence flew off then came back to feed from cob

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