How often do Jays kill small birds/nestlings ? (1 Viewer)

[osborne]

Watched a Jay with a small bird in it's beak today. It was being furiously mobbed by numerous small birds of different species ( I recorded Great Tit, Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch and several Chaffinches amongst the mobbing crowd.) How regularly do Jays kill small birds/nestlings ?

 

[KC Foggin]

This discussion came up on one of my listservs this week. Apparantly it happens more often than you would think. The discussion started out as a venemous attack on parsitic cowbirds but it was pointed out that bluejays are just as much responsible if not more for the decline of certain songbirds. Interesting and nature at its rawest.

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

Watched a Jay with a small bird in it's beak today. It was being furiously mobbed by numerous small birds of different species ( I recorded Great Tit, Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch and several Chaffinches amongst the mobbing crowd.) How regularly do Jays kill small birds/nestlings ?

The answer to above is actually fairly simple. Jay's are highly optimistic omnivores, meaning that they will kill small birds if they get the chance. The same can be said about nest predation. Whenever they find a nest, they will eat what is in it if given the chance. In most populations nestlings & eggs are a fairly regularly food item for jays. - Of course only at the time of year when other birds actually nest...

 

[Screech]

It's something to watch as they fly silentley into an area, land and just perch checking things out.

I watched one follow a grackle back to its nest, after the parent fed the nestlings and left, the jay was right there taking one before they knew he was there. A total of three nestlings were taken in quick time. They are nest robbers for sure!