Eurasian jay

The eurasian jay belongs to passerine birds, even though it may not resemble one with its singing. It is the most colorful member of the corvidae family, being among the most intelligent species.

The jay has a distinctive black mustache on its head and blue feathers with narrow black stripes on its wings. The feathers on the top of its head can be raised into a crest. The jay is found throughout the territory of Slovakia. It enjoys deciduous and mixed forests with plenty of acorns and beech mast, being its favorite food.

It is a very cautious and shy bird, popularly also called the “forest policeman”. When it dislikes something, it screams loudly to inform the other forest inhabitants of forthcoming danger.

It is an omnivorous bird, feeding on insects, caterpillars, spiders, small rodents, eggs, and even young birds of smaller species. In autumn, it feeds on various seeds, such as beech masts and acorns, which it stores in its winter supply. It then digs them out in the winter, being able to remember their hiding places for a very long time. Those that are forgotten help the spread of forest trees.

Do you know?
We can sometimes see the jay in an anthill, busily preening its feathers and irritating the ants, which defend themselves with formic acid. This strange behavior acts as an important method of body hygiene by getting rid of parasites in its feathers.