A carnivorous jay

[question everything]

A few years ago I was dismayed, and posted here, when a jay mauled a house finch and carried it away.

Yesterday a jay was poking in the snow and carried a dead (not poisoned) mouse.

We keep enclosed mouse traps in the basement where we (spouse) dispose of the victim and the trap can be used again.

Usually it is the crow is waiting for breakfast but perhaps could not find it in the snow..

[think4yourself]

1. They're big bullies

here at my feeders.

[stopdiggin]

2. there are a lot of birds (and animal species as well) that are a LOT more opportunistic

and adaptive in their diet than we are generally led to believe.

And I think jays (might) belong, roughly, to the same family as crows, rooks .. ? So, yeah ... A well deserved 'reputation'.

[Goonch]

3. ;-{) Blue Jay Rat Snake

[Walleye]

4. Blue Jays will raid hummingbird nests

[Zackzzzz]

6. Owls have raided the Scrub Jays nest

[jaxxon20]

5. Jays and Crows

Jays and crows are both members of the Corvidae family of birds. Similar behavior

[cksmithy]

7. We feed birds and squirrels in separate

feeding stations. There is always a scrub jay or two that takes a nut or two from the squirrels feeders. They never raid the bird feeders. If we go into the backyard, the squirrels peer at us from above, we put nuts in their bowls and a scrub jay appears. They must be lurking and waiting just like the squirrels.

We do not feed any kind of corn because it attracts pigeons (which are beautiful birds) because they can carry the bacteria for community acquired MRSA. I would hose away the pigeons giant poops, wearing my flip flops, and one day I got swollen red toes. Thought I had impetigo, but the doctors said no, its mrsa. Not as dangerous as hospital acquired, but 2 weeks of strong antibiotics. Anyway, I now wear my wellies, rubber boots when doing any yard work. Don't want that happeb again.