Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

Year-round in CharlotteCommon
Blue Jay (Havell pl. 102) — engraved plate of the Blue Jay
Blue Jay (Havell pl. 102) · Robert Havell after John James Audubon · CC0

The take

Loud, clever, and everywhere there are oaks — which in Charlotte is everywhere.

How to ID it

  • Large crested songbird with a broad, rounded tail, smaller than a crow and larger than a robin
  • Blue, black, and white above; white to light gray underneath
  • Very vocal with far-carrying calls, but usually flies across open areas silently; caches food in a throat pouch

Field marks at a glance

Size
medium
Head
blue crest
Call
harsh jay! jay! and pumphandle calls

Where & when

Year-round in Charlotte

Learn more

Sources