They are everywhere. Wherever your go in the Sierra Nevada, the odds are high that you have experienced a Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri). These bold, inquisitive, intelligent, noisy, boisterous birds are distinctive with their jaunty charcoal black crests and iridescent blue feathers. They also have rounded wings, a long tail, and a straight, powerful beak.
Steller’s Jays are part of the Corvidae song bird family; this includes crows, ravens, jays, nutcrackers, and magpies. It is common to find these species in campgrounds, picnic areas, parks, and backyards – where people often are present. Steller’s jays live in oak woodlands and mixed conifer forests. They can even be found in elevations as high as 10,000 ft.
Pairs have long-term bonds and are monogamous. They rarely spend time apart and do everything together, including building their nest and raising their chicks. Adults are quiet and secretive while nesting, but they often become noisy and aggressive if threatened. They make their nests out of twigs, weeds, moss, and dry leaves that they "cement" together with mud and line with fine grass, rootlets, and pine needles. The female tends to lay 4-5 eggs, and the incubation, which is roughly 16 days, is primarily done by the female. About 16 days after hatching, the chicks prepare to leave the nest, but some young birds may even remain with their parents as a family group into the fall or winter.
Steller’s Jays are omnivores. They are known for their willingness to eat just about anything. During the nesting season, they have been known to eat eggs and nestlings of other small birds! However, most of the year, their diet predominantly consists of berries, fruits, insects, acorns, and pine nuts. They may store extra acorns by burying them in the ground or hiding them in bark crevices to eat at a later date.
