Bluebird or Blue Jay: What Are The Differences

Both the blue jay and the blue jay are endemic to the Americas, primarily North America. One obvious commonality they all share is their blue plumage, which can make them difficult to tell apart when they are only briefly visiting a nearby tree branch or bird feeder.

With a little knowledge and practice, it’s pretty simple to tell the difference between these two types of blue birds, so what’s the difference between a bluebird and a bluebird?

First, while both birds are blue, blue jays have a wider combination of patterns and stripes on their plumage, including striking black stripes on the wings and tail. In contrast, two-thirds of bluejays have blue upper bodies and orange-brown breasts, something bluejays don’t have. Bluebirds are also quite large, measuring about 25 to 30 centimeters (9.8 to 11.8 inches) long, while bluebirds are about 16 to 21 centimeters (6.3 to 8.3 inches).

These are certainly not the only differences between bluejays and bluejays—read on to discover more ways to differentiate these two similarly familiar North American birds!

oriental bluebird (sialic acid sialic acid)

blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Which is bigger, the blue jay or the blue jay?

It is worth pointing out that there is only one species of bluejay, which is divided into four subspecies, whereas there are three species of bluejay; eastern, western, and mountain bluejay. However, there is another bird in the blue jay genus called the tiger jay.

There are size differences between blue jay subspecies and between different species of blue jays. In any case, bluebirds are much larger and heavier than bluebirds.

bluebird measurement

• The eastern bluebird is 16 to 21 centimeters (6.3 to 8.3 inches) long and has a wingspan of 25 to 32 centimeters (9.8 to 12.6 inches). They weigh 27 to 34 grams (0.95 to 1.2 oz).
• The western bluerobin is slightly smaller, 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 inches) long. They are slightly lighter; about 24 to 31 grams (0.8 to 1.1 oz).
• The mountain bluerobin is about the same size as the western bluerobin but weighs more than the other two species, measuring 15.5 to 18 cm (6.1 to 7.1 in) long and weighing 24 to 37 g (0.85 to 1.31 oz).

western bluebird (Mexican sialic acid)

mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

bluebird measurement

• Bluebirds are about 22 to 30 cm (9 to 12 inches) long and have a wingspan of 34 to 43 cm (13 to 17 inches). They weigh approximately 70 to 100 grams (2.5 to 3.5 ounces).
• In one study, northern bluejay subspecies from Connecticut weighed an average of 92.4 grams (3.26 ounces), while Florida bluejay subspecies from southern Florida weighed an average of 73.7 grams (2.60 ounces).
• Tiger jays are larger than blue jays, measuring 30 to 34 centimeters (12 to 13 inches) long and weighing about 100 to 140 grams (3.5 to 4.9 ounces).

As we’ve seen, bluejays are, on average, much larger than bluebirds. Even the smaller southerly bluejays are larger than the largest bluejays.

northern blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata bromia)

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

Which is more common, blue jay or blue jay?

Bluejays and blue jays both live only in the Americas. Blue jays range from Quebec and Alberta in Canada all the way to Florida and Texas.

Bluebirds have a wider range, extending from southern Canada to Central America; Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

• Bluebird populations of about 13 million, 87 percent in the United States and 13 percent in Canada, are declining.
• The number of eastern bluebirds alone may exceed 20 million and counting.

Bluejays are the more common bluebirds in terms of population size and distribution.

Eastern bluebird male, in flight

Other Differences Between Eastern Bluejays and Blue Jays?

family

Bluebirds are not related to bluebirds.

bluebird from Tortoise Branch The family, commonly known as Thrushaceae, contains about 174 other species. A 3 species of bluebirds from this genus Sialic acid.

blue jays from Corvidae Includes other families of jays, jackdaws, choughs, nutcrackers, magpies, ravens, and ravens.bluebirds from the genus blue heart, Among them are Blue jay and Steller’s Jay. Jays are the most colorful of all crows.

blue jay in flight

feather

Without a doubt, size and plumage are the main differences between bluebird and bluebird.

blue bird

All bluebird species have a dark blue or royal blue back and upper body, and usually a lighter colored lower body, including the pink/orange/brown breasts of eastern and western bluebirds. They also have black or brown tips on their wings. Mountain bluebirds are slightly different in that they usually lack most of the brown/orange breast and are mostly blue.

Female eastern bluebirds are usually dark blue bordered by green. They have more orange breasts and gray heads.

Female (left) and male (right) Eastern Bluebird

blue bird

Bluebirds are similar in color to blue, but slightly lighter in color. They have white faces, collared necks, and off-white lower bodies. The wings and tail are probably their most distinctive features, with distinctive black stripes and brighter, almost iridescent blue primary feathers. The tail feathers are long and conspicuous.

Some bluejays, especially the northern bluejay subspecies, have spurs or small crests on the back of their heads. The plumage of blue jays is highly variable, which is thought to help the birds identify specific individuals.

Female bluebirds are nearly identical to males, just slightly smaller.

A pair of bluebirds foraging on the ground

bill

• Bluebirds have longer, pointed, and more robust beaks, typical of corvids. They are very good at cracking nuts.
• Bluebirds have shorter beaks, typical of thrushes, and most forage for softer foods such as insects and berries.

call/voice

Bluejays possess a rich variety of vocalizations and are known for their sophisticated means of communication. As corvids, they are very intelligent.

Their calls range from seagull-like terrified screams to trills and mimics. They can imitate human speech and are known to imitate the calls of hawks and other birds. One of their most distinctive calls is referred to by birders as the “rusty pump,” which sounds a bit like a pump or cluck.

Bluebirds have a much softer song, consisting of a soft warbler or chirp. For small birds, their calls are actually relatively low-pitched.

A male Eastern bluebird feeding its fledgling chicks

Behavior

There are huge behavioral differences between bluebirds and bluebirds. Bluejays are members of the corvid family and they are known for their rather outgoing, arrogant and often aggressive behavior. In contrast, many thrushes, including bluebirds, are very solitary, secretive and reserved.

Bluebirds do come together in flocks of 5 to 50 or so birds and form very strong mating bonds, usually for life. Like most other corvids, bluebirds mate for life and can also form sizable flocks.

Bluejays are brave, aggressive birds that will fiercely protect their nests. They’ve even been known to dive bomb humans, causing nasty pecks! As corvids, bluejays are very intelligent and very curious, and are known for “playing” with human objects such as bottle caps or pieces of metal.

Like many thrushes, bluejays are far from dumb, but they’re not as eccentric or outgoing as bluebirds, preferring to stay in roosts or treetop territories.

Juvenile blue jay, begging for food

Habitat

The two birds share similar forest and woodland habitats throughout their range. Bluebirds generally choose trees near open ground and tend to nest in hollows, while bluebirds prefer tall trees. Bluebirds like to make their homes in cages, and the cages are usually perfectly sized for thrushes. Bluebirds like to build their nests on tree forks about 20 feet or so off the ground.

Mountain bluejays are known for living at high altitudes, often above 7,000 feet, but bluejays are certainly not afraid of heights and live between the Rocky Mountains and Alaska Mountains.

Habitats for bluebirds tend to be more flexible, and many have settled in urban areas.

Bluebirds have a wider range and are more common in Central America; Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras, in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, North and South Dakota, Neb Alaska and Kansas are more prominent. Western bluebirds are more common in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana. Both extend as far as Alaska and Canada and are hardy.

Mountain bluebird with beak of insect in flight

diet

Both birds are omnivorous. Bluebirds consume approximately 75% of plant matter, including nuts, acorns, seeds and berries. The remaining 25% consists of insects, worms, larvae, and various other invertebrates. Bluebirds are resourceful feeders and have been observed to create tools to help them forage and eat, one example being rolled up newspapers used to scoop up food particles that would otherwise be out of reach.

Bluebirds mainly eat insects. Since two-thirds of their diet is insects and various invertebrates, the rest is berries and seeds. They typically feed from ground or treetop perches.

migrant

Some but not all populations of both birds migrate. Bluebirds typically move southeast in winter, but tend not to travel very far, usually only a few hundred kilometers. Some bluebirds migrate to Mexico, but most populations don’t migrate particularly far.