Maggie's Farm

There are other jays in North America, but the bold and noisy Blue Jay of eastern North America is the most familiar.  Like some other bird species, the Blue Jay is not so much common as it is conspicuous.

A mystery about Blue Jays is their migration. When I lived on Riverside Drive in NYC a century or two ago I watched thousands of Jays flying south in early October, all day long, through Riverside Park. I was confused by that, because Blue Jays are wintertime residents in the Northeast.

I suspect that Blue Jays, along with other species, move a bit south but within their breeding ranges (like Robins, Red-Tailed Hawks, and others).  There is some evidence that yearling birds are more likely to travel.

Thus, in wintertime, New England Jays might be Quebec or Ontario breeders, or might be local breeders. Can't tell the difference. 

Blue Jay facts