Eastern & Central North America
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Oak woodlands, suburbs· 11 in / 28 cm
"Loud jay! jay! and a bouncy crested silhouette."
The story
Blue jays are the great oak-planters of the continent. A single jay can cache thousands of acorns each autumn, and the ones it forgets become tomorrow's forests.
Conservation
Generally stable; vulnerable to West Nile virus outbreaks.
One small thing you can do
Leave acorns where they fall — you may be helping a jay plant a tree.