If you’re wondering whether blue jay birds can be eaten or not then you’ve come to the right article.
In this article, I’ll answer this question and after I’ve answered the main question then I’ll also continue answering a few more related questions.
So, make sure you keep on reading this article till the end.
Can You Eat a Blue Jay?
Humans can eat blue jay without any health consequences.
Though many people may feel that killing and eating a bird that is generally 9-12 inches in size is horrible, blue jays are edible.
People, especially those in rural habitats, hunt and eat them.
Blue jays are easy to hunt because of their low flying behaviors and fondness for people’s backyards, making them easy prey.
Before eating the meat of a blue jay, make sure you thoroughly prepare and cook it.
You can bake the breast in butter or cook it carefully to tenderize the meat.
Does a Blue Jay Taste Good?
While most people online agree blue jay meat is edible, opinion differs about the taste of their flesh.
It is imperative to note that blue jays are omnivorous.
They eat fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, frogs, mice, and even young birds.
The blue jay’s diet makes their meat not taste good.
Typically, omnivorous meat holds a high volume of uric acids though slightly lower when compared to the meat of carnivores.
The uric acid makes the meat taste like crap which reinforces the views of some online opinions about the taste of blue jay meat.
So, it can be said that to some people blue jay meat will taste good while to others it won’t.
Can You Eat the Eggs of a Blue Jay?
Eggs of blue jays can be eaten by humans.
Almost all wild bird eggs can be eaten.
Some cultures even eat raw and incubated bird eggs for their rich amounts of nutrients, proteins, and fats.
Perhaps the only wild bird eggs you need to avoid are from other wild birds like the Pitoui and Ifrita.
The contents of these bird eggs have been established to be poisonous as they hold chemicals that can cause some serious health problems if consumed.
Do Owls Eat Blue Jays?
Owls are carnivorous whose diet consists of small rodents, insects, or fish.
So, they’ll also eat blue jays.
Many owl species eat blue jays, such as the male barred owl.
The owl often hunts blue jays at night who often can be found in their nests.
During daytime though, the blue jay will often be able to keep owls away from their nests.
Blue jays will also sing and mimic other birds such as hawks to repel owls and alert other birds to defend themselves against owl attacks.
Owls likely hunt blue jays because of their small size which enables them to easily overpower one.
Do Hawks Eat Blue Jays?
Hawks certainly prey on blue jays.
Almost all hawk species hunt blue jays for food and they also often steal their nests.
Baby blue jays are the most susceptible to hawks because of their slow speed during hunting and inability to resist an attack.
Also, blue jays themselves even love to hunt baby birds to fulfill their hunger, so if you happen to see this then it shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Which Bird Species Eat Blue Jays?
Almost all carnivorous and scavenger bird species larger than blue jays prey on them and their eggs.
Some of these birds are owls, hawks, falcons, crows, and other blue jays eat blue jays as well.
However, the blue jay population is unaffected because they can reproduce fast enough to remain stable in the ecosystem.
A female blue jay lays between 3 to 7 eggs and the incubation period is 17 to 18 days.
The short hatching period enables blue jay species to remain unaffected by many predators that prey on them.
Which Animals Eat Blue Jays?
Animals such as cats, snakes, and crows prey upon blue jays.
Falcons and owls prefer to feed on adult blue jays because of their rich nutrients.
Also, falcons have an incredible speed which makes it easy for them to hunt a relatively slow blue jay.
Predators such as cats, squirrels, and snakes target blue jays because of their low flying habits and migrating in loose flocks on shorelines, bushes, and residential areas.
They are also preyed upon by possums and, surprisingly, by other blue jays.
What Predators Eat Blue Jays?
Blue jays are prey to a variety of predators such as raccoons, snakes, hawks, squirrels, opossums, American crows, and other blue jays.
Unless attacked unwittingly, adult blue jays will always defend themselves against the attack and chase squirrels, falcons, cats, and snakes away from their nest.
Despite the many predators that like to prey on blue jays, their population remains stable in the ecosystem.
The main threat to their population is clearing their wooded habitats and the West Nile virus that can kill them in masses as well.
Do Crows Eat the Eggs of Blue Jays?
Crows eat almost everything from animal flesh to fruits and seeds.
They are omnivores and scavengers.
So, crows will indeed eat the eggs of a blue jay as well.
Generally, a crow will kill any bird species below its size, such as adult blue jays.
They will also eat their eggs and even their fledglings.
Eggs make up a fantastic diet for crows.
As a result, crows will often be seen raiding blue jay nests, specifically when the blue jays are not guarding their nests.
Evidence has shown that crows will always pick up and carry away small eggs but peck opens the large eggs at the site because of difficulties in carrying them away.
The small egg size of blue jays makes them among the crow’s favorite food sources.
Do Squirrels Eat the Eggs of Blue Jays?
Squirrels feed on bird eggs and prey on birds as well.
Therefore, you can be sure that the same will happen to blue jays.
Besides preying on blue jays, they also feed on their eggs.
Besides sharing the same habitat with blue jays, the squirrels will raid a blue jay’s nest for their eggs and nestlings.
Eggs are an essential part of a squirrel’s diet because of their rich protein and fat contents.
The bird’s eggshell is crucial to squirrels because of its calcium contents which they need for a healthy body.
It surprises many people that squirrels eat eggs and even small birds such as blue jays because we know them as vegetarians.
Well, squirrels are omnivorous and opportunistic hunters like many mammals are to increase their likelihood of survival.
Conclusion
Now you know that humans can indeed eat the meat of blue jays as eating their meat won’t have any consequences to our health.
You, however, have to be sure that you prepare and cook the meat properly to make sure you don’t eat any undercooked meat.