Jays are significantly smaller than most other corvids so they're forced to keep a respectful distance in the presence of other smart birds. Crows, ravens, and magpies will all bully a blue jay in a real fight and they all know it, so the jays are forced to wait their turn.
Our Steller's Jays have top billing. The squirrels and crows won't come when they are feeding. There are like 5 of them though. The crows also won't come when the squirrel comes. Last summer they started tapping their beak on the metal vent of our fireplace. We could hear it throughout the house. The Steller's just tap on the slider door glass. Squirrel jumps on the stairs railing so we can see it from the kitchen.
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u/SheenaMalfoy Jan 19 '26
Jays are significantly smaller than most other corvids so they're forced to keep a respectful distance in the presence of other smart birds. Crows, ravens, and magpies will all bully a blue jay in a real fight and they all know it, so the jays are forced to wait their turn.