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Posted by Paul-the-other on 03:06:04 03/15/08
In Reply to: Help Identify Bird Call posted by LISA
It is a blue jay, one of their many varied calls and mimic. So far I have noted:
1. metal clinking as in the fasteners of a flag hitting the pole on a flag pole
2. old fashioned telephone click--clickty-clickty
3. great mimic of a red shouldered hawk
4. an acceptable mimic of a downey woodpecker
5. scolding, that comes in several varieties
6. Food call as in "Hey the peanuts are here"
7. a murmuring as if "talking to themselves" which is usually heard on a warm summer day
8. a mimic of a starling call
9. And in the last two years I now hear a "click" call very much like Harry Belafonte and (?) do in their African click song from the Carnegie Hall show several decades past
9. the "pleading" call of the babies wanting to be fed
I have 25-30 blue jays feeding by my garage door and have been watching them for some 30 years. Their calls are fascinating because they exhibit a language of sorts. For instance, once a hawk landed in an oak tree by a dove feeder and a blue jay near by began the warning call. Within seconds about 15 more flew in and most were not even in sight of the hawk but picked up the warning call and restated it as they came to harass and help. When the hawk flew away several pursued but the majority stayed behind and their calls changed in pitch and tempo. I threw out some peanuts and all the remaining ones changed to a "food" call.
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