A Blue Jay

February 1, 2026

They come around in an aggressive manner. Noisy. With quick actions that appear confrontational. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), a bird in the Corvidae, or Crow family, native to eastern North America.

In its scientific name, Cyanocitta cristata, the genus name Cyanocitta comes from two Greek words kyaneos, or blue, and kitta as well as kissa, or chattering bird, jay. The specific name cristata comes from the Latin word, meaning crested or tufted, relating to the crest of this jay.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

One thought on “A Blue Jay”

  1. I just put a chopped fig into the feeder tray and two Blue jays quickly got down to work! This extra cold winter has left fewer species at the feeders, although a robin was seen creeping along a fence line, hoping for an insect beneath the dry leaves.

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