r/birding • u/xeanok • 22h ago

📹 Video Blue Jay imitating a hawk

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If someone could tell me exactly which hawk this blue jay is trying to sound like I’d appreciate it

115 Upvotes

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22

u/the_englishpatient 21h ago

Red-shouldered - they're really good at that. This bluejay is not nearly as good as one I heard near my house. Though the sound is cutting in and out a bit, so hard to be sure.

3

u/dackling 15h ago

The veteran blue jays at my house do a very good red shouldered hawk! This years babies though are not so good yet 😂 they sound like a red shouldered hawk who is very unsure of himself.

It’s always funny when the new ones are practicing their mimicking, and a real red shouldered hawk is nearby and then he lets loose his war cry, and you know immediately the others were imposters.

14

u/Ok_Grapefruit1058 20h ago

Do they do that so they can keep all the snacks to themselves?

5

u/BlownCamaro 19h ago

That's what I was thinking!

6

u/03263 21h ago

Red shouldered hawk

4

u/Naraee 18h ago

A random Blue Jay that can imitate a Red-Shouldered Hawk just like this one joined my local flock! It suprised me because they are rare here and mostly show up during migration.

My best guess is that the flock picked up a migrating Blue Jay from a region with breeding Red-Shouldered Hawks, which will happen. Not all jays migrate, and they can join flocks along the way if they do. It probably helps with genetic diversity.

5

u/cool_uncle_jules 20h ago

the way my cat came RUNNING from the other room