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Show BLUEJAY LIVES IN WOODS Hawks, Owls and Other Birds Are Teased and Tormented by These Noisy Birds. The bluejay likes best to live in thick woods, but it often comes into open fields, orchards and near dwellings- in search of food. When it discovers dis-covers you it assumes a proud and angry air of conceit and defiance." The bluejay's upper parts are purplish-blue. The lower parts are purplish-gray. The wings and tail are bright blue with black bars. The tail feathers are tipped with white. It ha3 a crested head. The bluejay builds its nest about twenty feet above ground. It is made of twigs and fine roots. From four to six eggs are laid. They are of a greenish green-ish drab color flecked with brown. Doubtless the bluejay helped to name itself, as its common utterance is a long drawn, "jay, jay, jay." This cry, with the bright blue color, has given it its name. While the jay sings no song it is able to imitate the calls of other birds, by which means it often attracts at-tracts them. It likes to tease and torment the owl and especially the little lit-tle sparrow hawk. This is done by Imitating the cry of a wounded bird, which draws the hawk near. Then, several jays will dart at the hawk squealing and frolicking about in great glee. Sometimes the play ends in a tragedy, for the hawk pounces upon one of them to the dismay of the others. Jays may be caged and tamed like crows and some writers say they can be taught to utter words. . "Bird Studies," by Herman C. De Groat. |