RationalParrot
Well-known member
My feeders are visited most often by the savage mob of house sparrows in residence nearby (said with affection, of course. The little guys are savage in an endearing way). Some house finches, gold finches, cardinals, mourning doves, and a red bellied woodpecker are all frequent visitors. All of the above species will hang out together with other species on the feeders.
Blue Jays, though, clear everyone out. A BJ shows up, and all the sparrows take off. Even the doves-- usually possessed of great equanimity-- won't stay. A pair of Blue Jays get the feeders all to themselves, as long as they want it.
The woodpecker is the same size as the Blue Jay, but the sparrows will feed alongside the woodpecker. So it's not the size of the Jay that scares everyone else off. It must be some tendency to aggression toward other species, yes? So, how bad is that tendency? Have any of you observed BJ violence toward other adult birds? Presumably the birds know from whom they have something to fear, but I'm curious as to how nasty the BJ really is.
Blue Jays, though, clear everyone out. A BJ shows up, and all the sparrows take off. Even the doves-- usually possessed of great equanimity-- won't stay. A pair of Blue Jays get the feeders all to themselves, as long as they want it.
The woodpecker is the same size as the Blue Jay, but the sparrows will feed alongside the woodpecker. So it's not the size of the Jay that scares everyone else off. It must be some tendency to aggression toward other species, yes? So, how bad is that tendency? Have any of you observed BJ violence toward other adult birds? Presumably the birds know from whom they have something to fear, but I'm curious as to how nasty the BJ really is.