The Crows Bully the Jays

Blue Jays have a reputation as bullies in the avian world, much of it quite deserved. They're loud, messy, and crowd out other birds at back yard feeders. Jays have been known to steal eggs and baby birds from the nests of smaller species. Yet as I had posted previously, Blue Jays aren't always bad, such as when they mobbed the prowling Cooper's Hawk in our yard.

We witnessed an event today which makes me feel a little softer yet to the Blue Jays around our yard. Hearing quite a racket of jay alarm calls while out gardening, I looked around to try to find the hawk or owl or other predator that had the jays so upset.

Overhead, a crow flew by with a baby jay in its beak, pursued by a small flock of angry jays. The crow had apparently found the jays' nest in a neighbor's tree and stolen the helpless little baby bird.

Nature is harsh sometimes, unfortunately. And often bullies fall prey to even bigger bullies, it seems.