Days out
Church Wood Hedgerly
Set off for a quiet stroll in Church Wood's tranquil woodlands, where Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Buzzards hide.
Brilliant birds, month by month: what to see and where to go.
Birds and wildlife
Jay
Garrulus glandariusGroup: CrowsUK Conservation status:Green
How to identify
Although they're the most colourful members of the crow family, Jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. The screaming call usually lets you know a Jay is nearby and it is usually given when a bird is on the move, so watch for a bird flying between the trees with its distinctive flash of white on the rump. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.Call
Jay
Niels Krabbe / xeno-canto
Key features to look out for
- Medium sized (34-35cm).
- Pinky-brown plumage with a white rump and bright, blue-striped wing panel.
- Listen for their screechy scream
Conservation Status
Jays are currently listed as green, the lowest level on the UK’s List of Conservation Concern.
Where and when to see them
Difficulty rating - Medium
You can find Jays across most of the UK, except northern Scotland. They live in both deciduous and coniferous woodland, parks and mature gardens. They are often seen flying across a woodland glade giving a screeching call. Thanks to their love of acorns, Jays are often easier to see in autumn, when they may fly some distance in the open in search of oak trees.
Key
- Resident
- Passage
- Summer
- Winter
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Where best to see them
Wing Tips
Your Jay questions answered
How can I identify a Jay?
Smaller than a Woodpigeon, the Jay is a small but colourful member of the corvid family. Whilst its cousins are mainly black, the Jay is a pinkish-fawn colour with a bright blue patch on the wing. In flight, you may notice its white rump and longish black tail. They also have a thick, black moustache.
What does a Jay eat?
Jays have a varied diet which includes caterpillars, beetles, eggs and small birds, but acorns are a staple in their diet. They will cache acorns from early autumn to hide away in their very own larder for winter. A single Jay can cache thousands of acorns and remember where each one is.
Where do Jays nest?
Jays breed within a branch or fork of a tree in a nest made of twigs which both adults will help construct.
When do Jays nest?
Jays will have just one brood in a season, typically laying a clutch of 4-5 eggs in March-April.
How long do Jays live?
Typical lifespan is four years but the oldest recorded was 16 years old.
Do Jays migrate?
Jays are mainly sedentary, rarely moving more than 50km. If there is a shortage of acorns on the continent, sometimes birds from mainland Europe will visit the UK.
Are Jays rare in the UK?
No, their population is stable but they can be quite secretive so not as commonly seen as their cousins. They can be shy and wary of people and more often heard than seen.