Theres nothing more frustrating than finally getting your bird feeder set up just right in a cozy place to sit and watch your birds, only to have a blue jay repeatedly chase them away. blue jays, while beautiful, have earned a well-deserved reputation as the bullies of the garden. Dealing with a jay problem can be frustrating as they arent picky eaters — they go after just about any type of feed. They are especially fond of peanuts and will do just about anything to get their beaks on them, so keep them out of your bird feeder if you want to keep the blue jays away.
Blue jays are highly territorial, so once theyve found a food source, they will likely stay and protect it from other birds. Whats more, they mate for life, so if you have one blue jay messing with your birds, chances are you have two. Additionally, jays are some of the most intelligent birds around, so rigging a blue jay-proof feeder often proves to be an exercise in futility. Below, we cover everything you need to know to keep blue jays out of your feeder and yard.
If blue jays are acting aggressively around your bird feeder, you have a few options. Blue jays hate loud noises, so you can always try to scare them away. In rare cases, hanging large wind chimes near your feeder can be enough to chase them off. However, its usually something more intense, like timed (and loud) music, that does the trick.
Additionally, you can stock your feeder with nyjer thistle seed and nothing else. It is one of the few foods jays cant stand. A thistle seed feeder isnt for every bird, so it might turn some birds off your yard, but it will be a magnet for finches, morning doves, and song sparrows. Of course, you might want to avoid blasting loud music or turning off other birds from your yard, all in the name of scaring off a few jays. If thats the case, consider buying a plastic owl to place near your feeder. Owls are natural predators of jays and can scare them right off. A bonus? Ceramic owls will also keep larger predators like rats and raccoons out of your feeders.
Are you trying to find a few simple ways to deter hostile Blue Jays from visiting your bird feeders and the other backyard birds you enjoy watching?
You can actually use a straightforward two-part method to assist in changing the behavior. Given all of the advantages blue jays provide, the best course of action is to maintain them in harmony with other birds. In light of that, take a look at the two-part solution that can make your birds all smile a little bit!
When it comes to being bullies, Blue Jays are undoubtedly the backyard birds with the worst reputation. Not only can it frighten off different kinds of birds, but it can also chase kids, adults, and pets away with a fly-by attack.
Blue jays are veracious eaters of insects. They’ll eat grasshoppers, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, snails, and even spiders. Sometimes they even remove small rodents and mice. They are among the best birds for managing insect populations as a result, which can be very beneficial to gardeners. Among all backyard birds, blue jays are among the most intelligent. They are quite good at communicating with one another, particularly when it comes to alerting one another to potential predators. Smaller animals can also be helped to flee the same nearby danger by their loud warning chatter.
For added benefit, keep these placed outside far away from patio areas, swing sets, and sidewalks. The reason is that blue jays prefer to nest close to a food source. Additionally, since they will fiercely defend both if they build a nest close to any of these locations, there is a greater chance that they will swoop down and perform flybys.
Due to their strong sense of territoriality, blue jays will usually stick around and defend their food source from other birds. Additionally, blue jays mate for life, so if you have one robbing your birds, there’s a good chance you have two. Moreover, because jays are among the smartest birds in the world, setting up a feeder that is inaccessible to them is frequently a fruitless endeavor. Everything you require to prevent blue jays from using your feeder and yard is covered below.
Nothing is more annoying than setting up your bird feeder perfectly in a comfortable spot where you can sit and observe your birds, only to have a blue jay keep chasing them away. Despite their beauty, blue jays are well known for being the bullies of the garden. Being a jay can be difficult because they don’t have particular tastes in food; they will eat almost anything. To deter blue jays, keep peanuts out of your bird feeder as they have a particular fondness for them and will stop at nothing to get their beaks on them.
You can try using the jays’ fondness for peanuts against them as a more pleasant way to deter them. It’s important to keep in mind that blue jays are indiscriminate feeders, consuming nearly any kind of bird seed along with fruits, nuts, and even insects and frogs. Keeping this in mind, you can divert hostile jays from your bird feeder by offering them their favorite delectable treat: peanuts.
You have a few choices if blue jays are behaving aggressively near your bird feeder. You can always attempt to frighten blue jays away because they detest loud noises. Rarely, keeping big wind chimes close to your feeder may be sufficient to keep them away. But usually it’s something more powerful, like loud music played at the right moment, that works.
Furthermore, all you need to put in your feeder is nyjer thistle seed. It is one of the few foods jays cant stand. While not suitable for all types of birds, a thistle seed feeder will attract finches, morning doves, and song sparrows to your yard. To scare off a few jays, you might, of course, want to avoid turning on loud music or discouraging other birds from using your yard. If so, you might want to get a plastic owl to put next to your feeder. Jays are naturally afraid of owls because they are their natural predators. As an added bonus, ceramic owls will deter larger predators from using your feeders, such as rats and raccoons.
FAQ
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