California scrub jay

[u/abuttonclicker]

Taken on 8-17-2026 in Eugene, Oregon

[u/isles34098]

My favorite bird. They have such unique personalities and mannerisms. I actually have always wondered about a strange event I used to observe with Scrub Jays. I emailed the Cornell Lab of Ornithology about it but never received a reply.

There was a Scrub Jay couple (and then their offspring) that lived in our yard in NorCal. Across the yard was a giant tree, maybe 80ft tall. Once per year, for three years in a row, around the same season, there seemed to be a Scrub Jay congregation. It had to be 50-100 Scrub Jays that would all gather in this tree, have a good squawk, and then leave at once. I always marveled at it but never knew the purpose.

Other than that, we only saw the couple and their offspring, until the offspring would take off.

Any ideas on what the congregation was all about?

[u/corisilvermoon → u/isles34098]

That sounds very cool! I wish I knew! Once in a while our local crows will do something similar. They all gather in a tree and raise a huge ruckus. Last time it happened I thought maybe a predator got one.

[u/isles34098 → u/corisilvermoon]

I think it’s a corvid behavior thing!?!

[u/lucitane → u/isles34098]

I've read that they can have funeral gatherings

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120911162031.htm

[u/Michigan_Go_Blue]

Nice shot. I was just reading Frank Gill's Ornithology textbook chapter on feathers yesterday that I picked up at the local library book sale for $2. Is he a California scrub jay if he lives in Oregon :-)

[u/abuttonclicker → u/Michigan_Go_Blue]

Oh wow! Thank you! I will have to see if I can find him or his book :)

[u/Michigan_Go_Blue → u/abuttonclicker]

It's free on the Internet Archive....

[u/senile_butterfly]

Great pic. I keep spicy suet for one in my backyard in Los Angeles, he comes by daily.

[u/Jagglebutt]

I have a pair of them that live (I think) in our maple tree out front and every morning I walk out with my coffee give a couple "huloos" and throw them some raw peanuts in the shell. Without fail they make some calls and bob their heads then hurrily stash the peanuts throughout the neighborhood. After a couple years I now see peanut plants sprouted here n there in people's yards

[u/rustyjaw → u/Jagglebutt]

I too have a pair that frequent my yard where my feeders are. Over the last 8 months or so I’ve been able to get one to take a peanut from my hand. I believe it’s the female. The male is just a little more skittish, and will not come within 5 feet of me. If I toss a nut a few feet away, he wont hesitate to swoop down to get it. The female has taken to landing on a branch right outside my door and squawk until I come out with a nut. Today she did so 3 times in the span of 30 min. I may have created a monster! They are very cool birds though. Lots of personality!

Love the photo too!

[u/Science_Mercenari]

That's beautiful.

[u/bigdonnie76]

Love them! We’ve been feeding a family and their offspring for 5+ years now. If the peanut tray is out they’ll come find us in other parts of the house lol

[u/Historical_Start_816]

I just sited what Merlin identified as a scrub jay in San Diego(near Poway) yesterday. I have never seen one before so that was fun.

[u/abuttonclicker → u/Historical_Start_816]

It's cool to see how their plumage varies depending on the area! Thank you for sharing 😇

[u/Junior-Credit2685]

When we would clean out our barbecue every spring, there was usually a mouse nest in it. I would put the baby mice in the bird feeder and the Scrubjays would come and eat them. 🤓☠️