• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Male or Female Blue Jay?! (1 Viewer)

Normally it isn't possible to tell the female from the male Blue Jay just by the looks of it. Can't remember if there's a minute difference in average size, though.
 
Hi Kinte,

Welcome to BirdForum!

A behavioural difference: generally, only the female incubates the eggs (males have been known to do a spell, but only rarely). So if you see one incubating, it is likely a female, if you see one carrying food to a sitting bird, that's the male. But both parents feed the chicks, so once they've hatched the eggs, no way of telling.

Michael
 
Well we have a a baby Blue Jay that we are in the process of rehablilitating, is there a way we can tell if it is male of female?
 
Michael Frankis said:
Probably not now - a licensed bird bander would be able to tell in spring, when it will show a cloacal protuberance (male) or not (female)

Michael

sorry im new at this "cloacal protuberance" ?
 
Sorry - it is something that birds have in the spring, for transferring sperm from male to female . . . not quite the same as what mammals have, but the same function :eek!:

It is something that can only be seen by examining the bird in the hand (by gently blowing the feathers apart under the tail, to see the skin) - which is why only a trained & licensed bird bander can do it

Michael
 
Michael Frankis said:
A behavioural difference: generally, only the female incubates the eggs (males have been known to do a spell, but only rarely). So if you see one incubating, it is likely a female, if you see one carrying food to a sitting bird, that's the male. But both parents feed the chicks, so once they've hatched the eggs, no way of telling.
Hi, Michael

Did you just know that, or have you got a reference book? If so, which one? - it sounds worth getting.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top