Many people consider blue jays as aggressive birds, and they can scare small birds and animals, like squirrels, through their vocals and chasing behavior.
Are Squirrels Afraid of Blue Jays? Squirrels are afraid of blue jays because they can attack and kill these animals whenever they try to enter their territory. Moreover, they can chase, attack, and make loud noises to scare them when they come closer to their eggs and babies. Furthermore, blue jays can attack to protect their nests and food source.
The blue jays look beautiful as they have blue heads and eyes like black coal, making them attractive.
However, they do not have calm behavior and are known for their combating and aggressive nature, as these territorial birds are ready to fight for their territory.
Why are squirrels afraid of blue jays?
They are afraid of blue jays because these birds can attack and kill the squirrels whenever they try to come close to their territory.
They can use their beak to peck on bodies, chase fast-running animals, and make loud noises to call others for defense.
Aggressive nature
They have an aggressive nature and come forward to fight when someone poses a risk to their nests. They are territorial in nature and fight with intruders, including humans, birds, and animals.
They do not show aggressiveness to larger birds and animals as they have the risk of fierce attack from them that can make them die.
However, smaller animals like squirrels cannot afford the risk of interference with them as they can efficiently fight with them.
So, they will not leave these small animals at any cost and become fierce fighters to make them leave their territory.
Prevent attacks on babies
They usually attack blue jay nests to access their babies, as they can eat and get nutrition from these smaller birds.
These opportunistic furry animals can attack their nest when they find babies alone, but they can run away quickly if their mother comes back as they are scared of these birds.
Accordingly, they are fierce defenders that can prevent squirrels from attacking their babies.
Furthermore, they have protected their babies and keep an eye on the nest when they are out of their nests as these animals are less interested in eating adults.
Avoid stealing eggs
The eggs of birds are at risk of attack from the wild animals roaming around their nests.
Squirrels wait for a chance to reach the blue jays’ nest and grab eggs to fulfill their nutritional requirements.
Unguarded nests are welcoming for furry animals to come and take their meal when there is no one around the nest to protect them.
Moreover, their parents start making loud noises and calling other territory members.
They prefer to attack in groups to defend themselves properly and make the attacker run away.
They would never allow you and any other predator to steal their eggs as they cannot afford to lose them.
Protect food source
The predators or fury animals get aggressive when they are about to attack the food source of smaller birds and animals.
Their aggressive behavior can help scare the preys that are easier to catch than those who fight back for their survival.
Both of these organisms consume the same food type, which becomes the reason for their direct contact. The grey and red squirrels try to attack the collected nuts and seeds present in the nest.
So, blue jays attack them using their beaks and kick them out of their territory as they get scared when these birds try to attack.
Protect nest
The territorial behavior of blue jays, unlike squirrels, makes them fierce against invaders of all types as they do not compromise on their survival.
They are vocal birds that make noises and drive other animals and birds away from their feeding spots. They want to eat alone without sharing with any other species.
Furthermore, they have protective nature for their nests in addition to eggs and become mean when they find a risk of attack in their territory.
How do you keep squirrels away from blue jays?
It is essential to keep squirrels and blue jays at a distance to avoid their fighting behavior; otherwise, they can kill each other when they get aggressive towards each other.
Moreover, you can place a separate feeder for blue jays and furry animals to avoid contact with each other to reduce the chances of the fight.
Put undesirable food in the trays that can only attract one of these two species and prevent another one. For example, you have to replace the seeds in trays with fruits like apricot that do not attract these birds.
Avoid placing their mutual favorite food in the same tray, like seeds, nuts, oranges, etc., as it can lead to a fight for food resources.
In addition, it is better to keep the yard clean; otherwise, the birds can come to get food leftovers on the ground that can accumulate due to poor cleaning.
Some deflectors and fake owls can also be helpful as deterrents that can keep squirrels away from blue jays’ food source and maintains an ideal distance.
Furthermore, it is better to keep the bird feeders at a distance of around 5 to 7 feet from trees, which makes it uneasy for furry animals to reach the tray quickly.
Are all squirrels afraid of blue jays?
Blue jays are aggressive toward all squirrel types that try to interfere in their nests and steal eggs. These animals try to access their food source or nest to grab a few chunks.
Most commonly, the red squirrels are prone to attack as they are not only intelligent but quick climbers and make their way to the nests of birds.
They climb on the tree trunk and reach their nests to steal one or more eggs and young chicks. The red furry animals are known to have vicious aggressiveness that can sometimes kill their pups too.
Moreover, they can do almost everything to ensure their survival, so they can dare to reach the nests of blue jays in search of food and have to face an attack by these birds, most probably.
Furthermore, they can get an idea from broken eggs, damaged nests, and dead chicks attacked by squirrels in their territory.
So, they are afraid of blue jays’ attack, but the red squirrels have the potential to get entry into their nest without having a fear of their attack.
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