How to Attract Blue Jays to Your Yard
Blue jays are bold, noisy and very smart. They love peanuts and big seeds, and a feeder that suits them will have jays coming back daily.
What blue jays eat
Peanuts are the top blue jay food, in the shell or shelled. They also eat sunflower seed and corn. A mix with sunflower and peanuts works well.
Jays carry off food to hide it. Their forgotten acorns are one of the ways oak trees spread.
A premium mix of nuts, fruit and sunflower without cheap filler seeds birds throw on the ground. The easiest single bag to attract lots of different birds.
Check price on Amazon for Lyric Supreme Wild Bird Seed (opens Amazon)If you only buy one seed, make it black-oil sunflower. It's high in fat, has a thin shell small birds can open, and nearly every seed-eating bird loves it.
Check price on Amazon for Wagner's Black Oil Sunflower Seed (opens Amazon)Use a platform or large hopper
Blue jays are too big for most tube feeders. Platforms and large hopper feeders give them room to land and grab several seeds at once.
An open tray feeder that welcomes the widest range of birds, including cardinals, doves, jays and juncos that prefer to feed in the open.
Check price on Amazon for Woodlink Platform Feeder (opens Amazon)A big metal hopper feeder for yards with lots of birds. A weighted perch bar closes the seed tray when a squirrel steps on it.
Check price on Amazon for Woodlink Absolute II Squirrel-Resistant Feeder (opens Amazon)Oaks and water
Yards with oak trees attract blue jays naturally. A bird bath is also a big draw, and jays are enthusiastic bathers.
Open water in winter brings in birds that never visit seed feeders, like robins and bluebirds. This bath has a built-in thermostat, so it only heats when the water is close to freezing.
Check price on Amazon for API Heated Bird Bath with Stand (opens Amazon)Frequently asked questions
Why do blue jays scream like a hawk?
They often imitate red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks. Scientists aren't sure why, but it may warn other jays or scare birds off a feeder.
Do blue jays scare other birds away?
They can be pushy, but they usually grab food and leave. Offering a separate platform with peanuts keeps them busy.
Do blue jays migrate?
Some do and some don't, and the same jay may migrate one year and stay the next.
Not sure which feeder fits your yard?
Answer three quick questions and we'll match you with the right setup.