Species: Cyanocitta cristata
Popular and common variants / subspecies / other names: Canadian gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis), Steller’s jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Geographic distribution: Native to North America, the blue jay can be found in southern Canada and throughout the United States from the Midwest to the eastern coastal regions. The Steller’s jay is found in western North America from Canada down through Central America.
Environment: The blue jay is mainly found in mixed forest areas, especially forest edges, residential areas such as towns and cities. The Steller’s jay prefers evergreen forests.
Physical description: The blue jay is a medium-sized songbird that weighs about 3 ounces, measures about 10 inches, and has a wingspan of about 15.5 inches. Like all other corvids (the family that includes birds such as crows and ravens), jays are fiercely intelligent and social birds, with a loud call that ranges from a harsh cry to close mimicry of other birds or sounds. The blue jay features blue plumage on its back, white or pale grey on its front, and a varied patchwork detail of blue, black, and grey on its wings and tail, with a slightly darker mask around the face. It has a jaunty crest of feathers on the top of the head that raises when the bird is alert; the crest is lowered when the jay is relaxed, especially when feeding a brood or dealing with extended family such as flock mates. The Steller’s jay is dark blue with a charcoal grey head and lacks the paler belly of the common blue jay.
Interesting facts: The blue jay stuffs food in a throat pouch while gathering, to store it for later. Blue jays often mate for life and pairs typically remain monogamous. Blue jays particularly like oak trees, and have a fondness for acorns. They have a mystifying and seemingly chaotic migratory pattern that does not appear to depend on their region: Some migrate north, others migrate south, some do not migrate at all, and some migrate only in alternate years.
Myths, folklore, and cultural associations: The word jay may come from Old French jai, meaning gay, a reference to the bird’s bright plumage. The Canadian gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) has a reputation for thieving; perisoriou means “to pile up.”
As the blue jay is a North American bird, it lacks the older religious symbolism of Old World birds. Instead, it is featured in Native American myths, and seems to have been an important figure especially to the Chinook, Sioux, and Coastal Salish tribes. In one myth, the jay is said to have had a beautiful voice and became overly proud of it. To punish him, the gods caused it to change to the harsh, croak call we know today. In other myths, the blue jay is a trickster figure who works with Coyote or Fox.
The blue jay is the provincial bird of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The provincial bird of British Columbia is the Stellar’s jay.
Omens and divinatory meaning: The jay’s strong family bond may be directing you to look to your own family situation. Are you directing more energy into nonfamily areas of your life than into your family itself? The jay may also be urging you to trust your immediate and extended family, including your trusted communities, and by extension to be more alert when dealing with people who are not of these closer relationships. Be fearless when defending your family and the communities in which you participate. The jay’s strong flock or family ties also point to its loyalty.
The jay’s relationship with oak trees may prompt you to look into the oak’s meanings. The oak tends to be associated with strength, durability, timelessness, longevity, and protection. If you live in the western part of North America, look instead at the qualities connected with evergreens, the Steller’s jay’s preferred tree, which include fertility and everlasting life.
The blue jay’s familiar talkativeness, coupled with its blue feathers (a color associated with the throat chakra, one of several energy centers found throughout the body) may be urging you to look at your own communication habits and skills. Are you talking a lot and saying not much of substance? Are you communicating the essential truths and facts, or burying them in a lot of chaff? The color blue is also linked with purity and spirituality; the blue jay may be coaxing you to follow higher ideals and nourish your spirituality.
Finally, the jay may be reminding you to gather and store a bit extra in order to ensure that you have a safety net if times get tough.
Associated energies: Family bonds, social networks, communication, loyalty, fearlessness
Associated seasons: Spring, summer, fall
Element associations: Earth, air
Color associations: Blue, white, black