As I was sitting in my backyard yesterday, as I often do, watching and photographing the birds, a blue jay flew into a tree at the edge of the yard. Blue jays are very intelligent birds. Did you know that they can mimic the calls of other birds? This particular blue jay made the call of a red-tailed hawk. Blue jays often imitate hawk calls, especially that of the red-tailed hawk.
But what is the usefulness of this? I witnessed firsthand how effective it is, as I watched all the squirrels in my backyard run for cover at the sound of the blue jay’s imitation. They use these mimic calls to scare other birds away from food sources, such as my backyard feeders. Isn’t it fascinating how nature equips animals with such effective tools for survival?
If you hear a Red-tailed Hawk call coming from a wooded edge or a backyard feeder, don’t immediately scan the sky. Instead, check nearby tree branches—you may find a Blue Jay putting on one of nature’s most convincing performances trying to monopolize the food for itself.
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