What Do Blue Jays Eat?
Blue Jays are a beautiful bird that love to visit backyard bird feeders. They can tend to be an aggressive bird towards smaller ones, so it is best to feed them slightly away from your main bird feeders but do include them as they add colour and fun to the yard, especially in the dreary winter months.
Blue Jays love nuts, seeds and berries. These three are their main staples when it comes to feeding them. They will also eat mealworms, grubs and small insects, but absolutely love nuts, and especially peanuts in the shell.
In a Hurry? See Blue Jay Feeders Online - Click Here
It is fun to watch them grab a peanut and hold it with their foot while they peck open the shell and then enjoy the nut inside. You will end up with some "shell shrapnel" around the yard, but they can go into the compost.
I always like to include bird feeders for the larger birds. Usually they are an open tray style, but there are blue jay feeders you can get that specifically hold peanuts in the shell. Below is my favourite one. I have this for the squirrels and the larger birds such as the blue jays. This way I can keep my smaller birds happy at another feeding station.
Blue Jays love nuts, seeds and berries. These three are their main staples when it comes to feeding them. They will also eat mealworms, grubs and small insects, but absolutely love nuts, and especially peanuts in the shell.
In a Hurry? See Blue Jay Feeders Online - Click Here
It is fun to watch them grab a peanut and hold it with their foot while they peck open the shell and then enjoy the nut inside. You will end up with some "shell shrapnel" around the yard, but they can go into the compost.
I always like to include bird feeders for the larger birds. Usually they are an open tray style, but there are blue jay feeders you can get that specifically hold peanuts in the shell. Below is my favourite one. I have this for the squirrels and the larger birds such as the blue jays. This way I can keep my smaller birds happy at another feeding station.
Blue Jay Feeder
These feeders are designed to hold peanuts in the shell. You can fill them with the unshelled ones, but they eat them too quickly and you will go through them fast. By using the ones in a shell it is fun to watch the blue jay work a little bit at getting their dinner out of the feeder and if they feel comfortable enough in your yard they will either open it right on the feeder or in a nearby branch. (I love watching them open a peanut shell).
Another way to feed them, is to spread the peanuts in the shell on your deck railing away from your small bird feeders. This way you can get a close up and fun view of them eating their dinner. I was feeding squirrels on my back deck when I noticed the blue jays in the trees. They swooped down and competed with the squirrels for the nuts. By spreading them out on a railing or your patio table, you will get a few at a time, although they tend to be an independent type of bird and not very social with even their own kind.
Another way to feed them, is to spread the peanuts in the shell on your deck railing away from your small bird feeders. This way you can get a close up and fun view of them eating their dinner. I was feeding squirrels on my back deck when I noticed the blue jays in the trees. They swooped down and competed with the squirrels for the nuts. By spreading them out on a railing or your patio table, you will get a few at a time, although they tend to be an independent type of bird and not very social with even their own kind.
