Blue jays are not native to the whole world. They have their native home in eastern North America.
Some eastern birds are migratory but they are often found in central and eastern USA. Attracting these birds to your yard can be difficult as these birds are very cautious and usually they do not prefer going close to a human.
But if you want them to see in your yard and feed them, then there are some tips and tricks that can work effectively in this situation.
And With this article, we have mentioned all those tips and tricks that can be suitable for you. Let’s get started.
Tip 1: Installation of Blue jay specific feeders
The primary source of attraction for any bird is food. It is important to provide a reliable food source to these birds so that they will trust you and visit the yard more often.
Therefore, to provide a reliable food source, you need to install feeders that are specific to blue jays. You can install a platform or tray feeder to attract these birds.
However, you need to avoid hanging feeders that swing or sway. These feeders do not provide any support to these birds which discourages them to visit your yard.
You can opt for pole-mounted or ground feeders offering a suitable food product to these birds.
While choosing any bird feeder for these birds, remember that the feeder must be capable of holding the weight of these birds. Generally, the weight of adult blue jay birds ranges between 2.5 to 3.5 ounces.
Tip 2: Offers the best food
Once you install a blue jay-specific feeder, you need to offer food that is very attractive to these birds.
One of the options for it can be roasted and unsalted nuts. Blue jay birds love to eat whole peanuts such as grains, seeds, and corn.
You can also offer berries, small fruits, insects, sunflower seeds, and nuts. You can tempt these birds with the help of leaf litter.
Tip 3: Encourage nesting in the yard
Nesting can also be a good source of attraction for these birds. Birds usually search for a safe nesting system and they get attracted to a place that meets their demand.
Both the male and female blue jay birds participate in the nest-building process. These birds do not use birdhouses and they make their homes in old and secure trees.
If you are living near the woods or have large trees in your yard, then it can be a good place for their nesting. You can also plant some shrubs and native trees in your backyard. You can also offer nesting materials such as sticks, grass clippings, and twigs to encourage nesting at your place.
Tip 4: Location of the feeder
The location of the feeder can also help you to attract the blue jays at your yard. These birds do not approach a feeder if any human is nearby to it.
If you want to see the blue jay birds eating at your place, then always watch them from a window and never sit next to it. The feeder should be at a location where the sun rays don’t come directly to it.
Tip 5: Maintain distance
You need to ensure that you want to attract birds and not scare them off. Blue jays are very cautious birds and they do approach a feeder if there are humans, dogs, or cats around it.
If you try to go close to these birds then they will definitely show their discomfort. However, it will not be shown by flying close into you.
Therefore, you need to maintain the distance from them. You need to know when you should be near to their young ones as they are very territorial. They always protect their young so keep a distance from them.
Tip 6: Offer them essentials during mating season
Blue jays generally have their mating season between March and July. These birds mate for life.
During their mating season, offer them the essentials that can attract them to your yard. You can offer the nesting essentials like twigs and sticks to help these birds build their nests.
This will attract more blue jays to your yard for collecting the required materials. You can also put some seeds on the ground and use feeders to feed these birds.
Tip 7: Planting right plants
Blue jay birds are highly attracted to the oak trees and you can plant these trees in your yard to temp these birds.
You can also opt for plant beech trees as these birds love to feast on beechnuts. Add more trees to provide plenty of options to nest, perch, and eat.
Acorns and beechnuts are an important part of blue jay’s diet. Therefore, having both of these trees along with oak trees can be the best source of attraction for these birds. Not only attraction, but these plants will also add beauty to your yard.
Tip 8: Make the feeders squirrel-proof
You need to protect the feeders from the squirrels who also search for food for themselves.
When we hang a feeder on a tree, squirrels are more prone to the feeders. It becomes important to protect them from squirrels.
You can use several ways to do the same. One method for it can be installed of a baffle which is effective in protecting the bird food.
A baffle can be added to the inverted bowls or poles. It deflects all the attacks from above when it is placed above the bird feeders.
Tip 9: Add a birdbath
You can also install a water source to help them fight the heat after eating all the peanuts.
They may need fresh water to drink and splash it around the big hot tub. You can arrange birdbaths at different locations in your yard to provide more access to these birds. During the winter months, you can keep heated water in the birdbath.
Conclusion
Blue jays are beautiful bird creatures that are not very friendly to humans. They are really very cautious and protect their food and young ones effectively.
However, they usually don’t attack a human directly. You can easily attract these birds if you use the tricks in the right manner.
Therefore, all the tricks mentioned in this article are effective and can help you to attract blue jays to your yard. Thank You For Reading!