Yesterday I was walking to lunch when I heard an immature red-tailed hawk begging for food near Central Catholic High School. At least that’s what I thought I heard.
I looked around for a large bird of prey, possibly one of the red-tails born at the high school this spring, when who should fly from the direction of the sound but a blue jay! He landed in a tree near me and called again – a perfect imitation of an immature red-tail begging call.
I know blue jays can mimic but I never expected they could do it this well.
I will try to remember this jay but he’ll probably fool me again next week.
(photo by Chuck Tague)
Kate,
I had a similiar experience in my yard this year. I went outside to fill my feeders leaving my platform feeder for last. As soon as I put the nuts in the that feeder and went inside, I heard a redtail…or what I thought was a redtail. I looked up in a pine tree and spotted the Blue Jay calling from the tree.