Pinyon Jay

These large, active birds visit my rural garden a couple of times a week in very large flocks (more than 50 individuals) in winter. They come less often and in smaller flocks in summer. The arrival of the main flock is usually presaged by the appearance of a couple of scouts, who perch in the trees and call loudly. The main body of the flock then descends en masse onto feeders, throwing out inferior seeds to get to the sunflowers and nuts. Pinyon jays are vigorous and enthusiastic eaters of sunflower seeds, tree nuts, fat, and peanuts. They will eat from feeders or forage among seeds dropped on the ground. The birds bathe together, often crowding into the pool so that every available inch is taken. They appreciate lard-and-seed mixes, and don't mind dangling upside-down to get at favorite ... read morefoods. Big and raucous, the pinyon jays intimidate smaller birds, and I suspect they kill some. But their lovely, sleek, blue and gray plumage and inventive approaches to feeders make them quite interesting and amusing to observe. They are confident beggars: Some members of the flock tap on my picture window when the feeder is empty, asking for more. They don't mind fairly close observation but if one is spooked, they all take wing at once and fly away, not stopping at trees further on to wait or regroup. They all disappear.