Steller Jay: Conspicuous, Fake Bald Eagle, Cache and Retrieve food, and Gestures (Birding25A)

Описание: Steller Jay is one of my favorite birds for its conspicuous bold look and intelligence. They have very interesting social behaviors that include verbal communication and gestures. Their ability to imitate and effectively use bald eagle, and hawk calls to scare others is remarkable. Their ability to cache food in many areas and retrieve it later is impressive. Every time we return home for a visit, we always stop by to see them and spend hours watching them. Here, I'm compiling our collection of photos and footages we have been taken over the past 5 years. We love them! You might fall in love with them, too!

According to Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Steller jays are monogamous and stay together year-round. They live in flocks and even known to have mixed species in their flocks. Sometimes, you see an individual searching or quacking alone along a hiking trail doesn't mean they are solitary. The rest of the flock is close by.

They spend much of their time in the tall pine trees and would come down to investigate visitors or look for food. We have seen them eating serviceberry, peanut, acorn, grubs, and lizard.

Photos and video by Elizabeth Ho and Thien an Nguyen ‪@a_figure_skater_family‬
Location: San Jose, California

Reference:

1. Steller's Jay, Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society, https://northwestwildlife.com/wp-cont...

2. Species Spotlight - Steller's Jay, Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, https://ridgefieldfriends.org/species....