Bird guide · Garrulus glandarius
Jay
What the jay eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from across the UK.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 13.6 in (34.5 cm)
- Eats
- peanuts, acorns
- Most common
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland
Food
What do jays eat?
At feeders, jays take peanuts, acorns.
Shy, rarely far from cover; seen burying acorns in autumn.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do jays live?
Woods, parks and mature gardens across most of the UK except northern Scotland. By share of all bird sightings, jays are most common in England (0.7%).
Nations where jays are most common
- England0.7%
- Wales0.6%
- Northern Ireland0.4%
- Scotland0.2%
Share of all bird sightings in each nation that are jays, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the jay migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the UK that are jays, by month.
Identification
How to identify the jay
Adults: Pinkish-brown crow with a bright blue wing panel, black moustache, white rump and black tail.
Size: 13.6 in (34.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the jay on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Jay: questions
What do jays eat?
At feeders, peanuts, acorns.
Do jays migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Where do jays live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland.