For a long time, I really only knew of one blue bird out there – the blue jay. Bluebirds, on the other hand, were something of a myth, seen and talked about only in cartoons.
And unless you’re in the right places, you may never happen to see a bluebird. So a frequent question that pops up is whether bluebirds and blue jays are the same birds.
Bluebirds are distinctly different birds from blue jays. In North America, there are three bluebird species, the eastern bluebirds, the mountain bluebird and the western bluebird. And the blue jay is one of several jay species in North America. There are also stellar jays, Canadian jays and Mexican jays, to name a few.
How to tell bluebirds from blue jays
Just looking at a few pictures of bluebirds and of blue jays, it becomes very easy to distinguish the two.
Key differences that distinguish bluebirds from blue jays are their size, head shape, wing patterning and breast.
The heads of bluebirds and blue jays are very different. Bluebirds have rounded heads and it’s overall a blue color. Blue jays have a crested head, with black markings around the eye and neck.
Bluebird wings compared to blue jay wings are very distinct as well. Bluebird wings will be almost solid blue, with just the tips tinted dark.
The central feathers of Blue jay wings and tail feathers have a sort-of gingham pattern.
In terms of size, bluebirds are noticeably smaller than blue jays, ranging between 15-19 centimeters, while blue jays are between 25-30 centimeters.
Finally, their breasts are very distinct. Blue jays have a gray solid breast – no spotting or speckling. Bluebirds will either have a rust colored breast (eastern and western bluebirds) or a light blue colored breast (mountain bluebird).
Juvenile (babies that have fledged) bluebirds and blue jays are also very easy to distinguish. Juvenile blue jays will have very similar markings as adults; however, their coloring might be a little more muted.
Juvenile bluebirds will have a speckled, dark breast and speckled wings. As weeks go by, they’ll start to develop their more vibrant colors.
Taxonomy differences (let’s talk biology)
Not only are bluebirds different from blue jays, they are not very closely related. Both are passerines, which in taxonomy is the order they belong to. Passerines account for over half of all known bird species.
But the two bird groups diverge at the familial level.
Let’s step back for just a moment and recall the classification concept of “taxonomic rank.”
This is the classification system of organisms. At the top, it’s very broad, but it narrows down to it’s root level, which is species.
Remember those funky scientific names for organisms? Humans are Homo sapiens, a house cat is a Felis catus and a mouse is a Mus musculus.
These scientific names are derived from the lowest two levels of the taxonomic rank, that is the Genus and then the species.
Above Genus is Family. And this is where the two birds diverge. Bluebirds belong to Turdidae, or more commonly the Thrush family. And blue jays belong to Corvidae or, as we would generally call them, the Corvid family.
Bluebirds and the thrush family
Bluebirds are a type of thrush, famous for their supreme singing ability.
North American is home to several thrushes. Aside from the three bluebird species, mocking birds, robins and brown thrashers are other common thrushes found all over North America.
The family is known for their melodies, with the robin being a cheerful herald to the spring, mockingbirds being able to build a vocabulary of other bird sounds as well as environmental sounds, and bluebirds being gentle, loving singers.
Blue jays and the corvid family
Blue jays belong to the corvid family. Corvids are known for their remarkable intellect. Perhaps the two most notable corvids are crows and ravens.
And if you listen closely to a blue jay’s call, a new ear to birding might easily confuse it with a crows cawing.
Another notable corvid is the magpie.
Corvids have the ability to recognize faces and work together in larger groups. They have also been known to bring gifts to their food providing benefactors. Though gift-giving is more common among crows, there have been reports of blue jays depositing a knickknack at the feeder.
Do bluebird and blue jays eat the same things?
In nature, bluebirds and blue jays will both eat insects, seeds and berries. But at the feeder, blue jays will be more attracted to peanuts while bluebirds will be more attracted to live mealworm.
You can easily attract blue jays to your yard by getting a blue jay feeder. Wreath feeders are especially popular. And then you can fill them with peanuts in the shells.
A note of caution: We advise you not attract blue jays to your yard if you have other active nests. Blue jays will rob nests of their eggs and eat fledglings. If you’ve been attracting bluebirds, chickadees or even have a robin’s nest near your yard, wait until early fall to begin attracting blue jays. Remove feeders in March when nesting season starts to begin.
For bluebirds, consider a basic mealworm feeder bowl, or if you want to prevent squirrels, a covered mealworm feeder might be a better option.
Ultimately, both birds are unique and a joy when visiting your backyard. Each has its special gifts that bring joy. The bluebird with its gentleness and its willingness to get close to people, and blue jays for their intellect and games they play.
Both can even be trained to come for food when a specific sound is played.
To get started with these birds, take a look at these specialized feeders.
