Found two baby blue jays perched on the back of an outside chair. But now a major rainstorm has started and I hate seeing them sit there exposed to the elements. Should I try to move them or leave them alone
Aug 15, 2022
A Baby bluejay by: Kay
I first encountered Baby Bluejay being attacked by a swarm of mature Blue Jays who were screeching and attacking the little baby who was quite large but unable to fly.
I chased away the mature BlueJays and Baby Bluejay waits for me each morning hopping around outside my door.
I threw out peanuts he stared at them and didn't know exactly what to do, soon he took the peanuts.
He would appear mostly in the mornings.
One day I saw him laying motionless next to a water dish on the ground.
I went over and he moved around but was on his back, I sprinkled some clean water on him and he soon got up and started walking around.
I think maybe the adult birds attacked him again.
Is baby Bluejay vulnerable because he’s alone? very sad. I did not see him yet today.
I will look for he/she again tomorrow.
Apr 26, 2021
3 little "jays" by: Victor
Funny I read this then was in my yard chopping trees down so I can build an 8 foot privacy fence and 3 little blue Jay's fell into my pepper plants and onion box.
It's been 72 hours and they are still doing good but it's funny how I somehow read this about blue Jay's then made a comment to my friend "blue jays are annoying always waking me up" then later on adopted 3 that fell into my garden.
Do I feel bad now? maybe a little but I needed to extend my garden as well as erect a fence.
The city of Arlington is kindly asking in there final notice to me to cut down my trees.
The trees aren't approved and legal action will take place so as I laugh out loud at all this, these 3 Jay's are sleeping soundly after eating all my seeds, strawberries my last 4 kiwis and some cat food.
Hopefully after they grow which google says will be 17-21 days, they will be strong Jay's and show others that not all birds are bad.
Because I never expected to care for any birds I grew up disliking them and even shot them as a kid.
But years later after I matured, never thought I'd be taking care of these blue little ba-baby birds....lol
Sep 27, 2020
Baby Jay by: Angela
You did not a great job fostering Jay. If it wasn't for you, he may not have survived.
It is common for fostered fledglings to stay with their foster mother until they are able to survive on their own.
Often, they are adopted by other birds of their species.
More than likely, he was "adopted" by a blue jay mom who had fledglings the same age.
I hope you find comfort in knowing that Jay was able to be who he was created to be, a Blue Jay that would live in the wild and have his own offspring.
Aug 02, 2020
Visiting Blue Jay Baby by: Anonymous
My husband was working in the yard one day and a young blue jay kept swooping by him and squawking.
It was a very hot day so he got a dish of water and a cracker ( which when I got home reprimanded him for) he actually was able to hand feed him this.
He now stops by most days for peanuts and blueberries and will squawk on our deck till we hand feed him his treats.
I am not sure if someone in the neighborhood was caring for him and that is why he trust humans?
He has a healthy fear of our cat so I do not worry about him, but so enjoy and look forward to his visits!
My grandson has feed him. We have a couple of feeders and have made a bird bath for this very hot summer.
May 29, 2020
Criminal Behavior by: Anonymous
I work at a bird rescue and we have well meaning people imprint on orphaned wildlife by carelessly keeping these animals in their homes, where they lack the experience to care for them.
PLEASE do not give this wild bird the death sentence of not being afraid of humans.
This bird also requires a very specific diet to avoid metabolic bone disease. Third, it is illegal to keep this bird as a pet.
You would be "devastated" for the bird to leave?
Get a domestic animal for a pet. Wild animals can only be captives.
May 18, 2020
Fledging blue jay by: Anonymous
We intercepted a cat attack on this baby blue jay 2 days ago. It isn't injured but can't quite fly well yet just mainly hops or glides down if jumping from high up.
There are so many feral cats making it so confusing as to what is best. We couldn't find the nest to return it but yesterday the parents fed it 7 times and today 11...we put it on a perch under our RV port to give it protection from hawks and the parents swoop in and feed it.
We also watch to make sure while it's exposed the cats don't get it. We don't know if we should continue this way until it can fly off or just do a makeshift nest as high as we can get it in the tree and hope it will be safe from predators.
We are also feeding it a blend of fresh berries and cat food as well. Any advice is appreciated
Sep 17, 2019
Pet Blue Jay by: Anonymous
We have had our blue jay since June. She is very energetic and entertaining. She is about 4 months old now.
She is now flying from window to window looking out and screeching...is it too late to release her?
She is like a pet to us, jumping on our heads, playing with our toes...is she imprinted on us? We would be devastated to let her go.
Aug 16, 2019
For Your Love of Jay. by: Wild Bird Lover
I'm so sorry that your Jay has not returned. I'm hoping that your Jay has joined up with another group of Blue Jays and has taken a little vacation with his new friends.
It sounds like you did everything right in his care and maybe you did such a good job he has joined a group of Blue Jays in the neighborhood.
I know it doesn't mend your broken heart, but you did a wonderful thing saving a baby bird. Thank goodness you were there to help take care of him.
My friends are going through the same thing, where they cared for a baby Blue Jay with a broken wing, brought it back to health and he has now flown away. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he is with one of the flocks of Jays that hang out in the neighborhood. Maybe this is what healed Jays do.
Hopefully, you can take solace knowing you gave your Jay a second chance that he would never have had if you hadn't taken the time to care for him. And love him too.
Jun 02, 2019
Co-Parented for one Night by: Anonymous
We found a fledgling blue Jay and Let me tell you I am so happy we are able to return him outside and the parents came within a half hour.
Yesterday morning we took him out, and the parents came. This morning I went to check and he is still in the bush and I saw the parents feed him 3 times.
We only had him for one evening and I was already scared we broke the bond with the parents. We did not know what to do and we thought he is too close to the ground and we tried putting him higher in a bush then he went back down.
At this point was already dark and panicked and took the little cutzie in. He was startled at first but once you grab him he would stay on your finger and just study you.
We lef him roam around the place and he was hopping and then he started calling.
At this point I panicked because I was so worried we have broken the bond with his parents. I started checking out online for advice and the more I looked the more I realized our mistake.
My girlfriend was ready to keep him I was opposing because when my girlfriend took him his parents started making noise.
I rushed outside to see and we eventually took him in.
So continuing the story he was hopping around the place and he started hopping on my girl's feet and started calling.
I am not sure he was hungry for food or for motherly love. But we took him up gave him some chopped seeds.
Now he stopped calling but I am not sure if it was because of fear or because he was fed. But that is to interpretation.
We put him in a box to sleep and took him in the bedroom with us in case he starts calling we can react.
The point is that we argued about letting him go in the morning. So in the morning I woke up worried sick abut our new baby.
The moment I grabbed the box to take him out she woke up and we decided to feed him again make the coffee and go let him free outside and keep watch.
Within half hour the parents showed up they fed him and I was really happy. But before this moment he seemed lost and my girl got really sad. But she got really cheerful when she saw the parents.
This morning I went and checked on him and now she wants to check on him again. And the only way to do it is from afar.
Also it seems that blue jays are gutsy, I saw them chase behind a hawk while making noise (alerting the neighbors) and this morning one was harassing a squirrel.
May 25, 2019
baby blue jay by: Anonymousnora
Great advice about the young birds falling out of the nest. It's happened twice now and I have information to work with. Thanks
Jul 19, 2018
bluejay by: Gene
Offer some type of nuts, raw, not salted or roasted. Black-oil Sunflower seed also.
Jul 19, 2018
My blue jay by: Anonymous
Several weeks ago I found a baby blue jay on the sidewalk down town by a busy street. It was very weak and covered in ants.
It didn't have any feathers on it's belly yet and was a very new baby. Being the animal lover that I am I could not just leave it like that!
I brought it home and at first I kept it in a ten gallon fish tank in a nest with some branches around it.
At night I covered the little bird with a wash cloth with only it's head out so it felt warm and protected like it's mom was there.
It would stay like that all night until I uncovered it in the morning. I fed it canned beef cat food shreds with a toothpick every hour.
When it got a little older I introduced it to bird seed also.
As it grew we would go outside every day and it would get to hop around on the grass or practice flying. He is about full grown now.
He stays in a big bird cage on my covered porch. Every day I let him out for several hours.
He gets to fly around and hang out in the trees. I have to yell at the robins often because they do pick on him.
Being wild they are naturally afraid of me so they fly away and leave him alone if I holler at them. They try to make him fall out of the air when he's flying or chase him out of trees.
He will scream for me when he needs backup. He has learned to catch bugs but he still loves his canned cat food.
He also gets a fresh bowl of bird seed every day which he picks through and throws all over the porch. He gets a fresh bowl of water every day too and he loves to give himself baths!
He also likes to collect objects he finds. He seems to enjoy bullet casings. He has found a few of them.
He loves to look into and peck at flowers. He is good friends with the cat also. The cat stays on the deck most days and they have little conversations.
The bird will walk or fly right to the cat when he's out and even eats food from his dish when he's eating and the cat lets him.
The cat sleeps on the bird cage at night and the bird sleeps on the bar closest to him. How strange, but they are friends.
May 25, 2017
baby bird by: Gene
Leave it. The adults will assume a predator attack and leave. Do your best to keep the cats away.
May 25, 2017
Baby Blue Jay by: Anonymous
There is a fledgling Baby blue bird in my back yard it has been hopping on the ground and has climbed up a couple of tree's the parents are still around but we have a cats in our area, should I take him in for the night for safety or leave it alone ? I'm just very worried about the little one. I would welcome any advice. Thank You
Jul 04, 2016
No Phone Numbers by: Gene
Sorry Lilly, no phone numbers. You don't want every one on the internet having your number. This is public.
Contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area.
Jul 04, 2016
baby jay jay bird by: lilly swafford
Can someone call me that knows what to do with jay jay its flying and doing well but wont eat on its own and doesnt eat when anybody eles tries to feed it just me.
Jun 29, 2016
Bitter/Sweet by: Cindy
A couple weeks ago, my husband found this precious little Blue Jay that had apparently fallen out of its nest. I took the baby in and fed it mealworms and water by a dropper every couple hours.
At that time, ChiChi, it's given name by me, had most of her feathers, except around the neck and down the back of the shoulders.
Not knowing a lot about birds, I didn't know what temp to set for her in my home, so, I went to Walmart and bought several fleece baby blankets and wrapped the baby blue jay in it and rocked her.
Don't laugh! ChiChi loved being rocked and cuddled in her soft blankie. She would go sound to sleep each time.
I even went as far as setting up my IPad and let her watch bird videos with bird sounds to keep her entertained and close to nature so when the time came to release her to the world outside, the birds chirping around my home would be familiar to her.
WELL, guess what? She thinks I'm her mama. I've set her to flight many time and even her parents welcomed her back, brought worms to her and tried to get her to respond to them.
ChiChi ate their worms, but after she had enough sun and fun, she flew back to my window every time..., chirping and flapping her little wings to get my attention to bring her back into the house.
Please tell me how to get her to make that transition from me to her real parent. Thanks.
May 28, 2016
Leo the blue jay by: Southeast Missouri
We found a baby blue in our driveway after a big storm. He's just barely getting his blue feathers and can barely hop.
We've been feeding him puppy chow mixed with water and he cannot get enough of it. His parents never came around and luckily I found this forum. Everybody has been a big help!
May 24, 2016
Bluejays by: Gene
Most fledglings do not fly well when they first leave the nest. Make sure the carrier is up from cats and the adults continue to feed. They'll have to decide when to leave. The adults will lead them from shrub to shrub until they can get higher up.
Thanks,
Gene
May 17, 2016
Fledgling blue jays by: Anonymous
Found 2 baby blue jays in my yard Saturday. Put them in a tote on my back porch. Mom feeds them regularly.
They were able after 2 days to jump up and sit on the rim of the tote but still unable to fly. There are many feral cats around so I put them in a cat carrier.
Mom is still feeding them as of Tuesday. I'm wondering when they should be ready to fly. Until they are airborne they are going to be in danger and I will not be able to rest until i know they are safe.
May 12, 2016
bluejay by: Gene
Hello Charity, it sounds like you've done a good job at providing for this bird. At this point it may not be able to survive on its own.
I suggest finding a wildlife center or rehabilitator and letting them know what you've written here.
Hopefully they can take the bird off your hands.
May 12, 2016
Baby Blue Jay by: Charity
Hi I've had a baby blue jay for three weeks now it fell out of my pine tree and had no feathers on its wings now it can fly but my question is how can I get it to eat on its own.
I've tired to put the wet dog food in the tray and showing her where the food is but it has not gotten the hang of it. It's so sweet and loving I'm so surprised. And when do you think it's ok to feed it bird seed or peanuts?
Oct 05, 2015
baby blue jay by: Anonymous
Almost fledgling little Mug Y survived a crow attack/snatched and dropped with a hurt wing and broken foot in spring.(we couldn't locate nest) Took MugY home and raised him on itty-bitty meal worms/eggs/puppy food.
Would have taken him to a caring wildlife rehab center but they don't except plain old birds and I'm not cold blooded, better to die trying then die a horrible death. October 2015 his foot is better but some toes cant close tightly and wing is much better.
I would feed/put him outside for neighborhood Jays to have a come look/see but only 1 was interested from a distance but wouldn't feed him. I am hoping he will be able to fly away next spring since now it is to cold/ wet for him unless we get a warm October.
I don't babying him like a pet because he MUST leave the home to where he belongs, free and I wont relax until he's out.
Birds, adults/babies are so frail and they die easy no matter how much experience you have in raising birds, one minute its doing great next day dead.
The longer you have it the more chances it will die on you. Little bugger is doing fine but won't lay off the meal worms Will update.
Jul 26, 2015
Help baby blue jay by: Chase
We just found a baby blue jay in our kitchen. We would like to know what to feed this little youngster.
By looking on google images he is about 3-4 weeks old. If anyone could please call me or email me what to do that would be most appreciated.
We are currently dropping very very small amounts of water to him and the little guy is drinking it. We do have bird seed but we would like to know what would be the best. Chasebennett322@ gmail 321-208-6683 Please feel free to contact me.
Jun 20, 2014
baby Bella...lost Jay by: Anonymous
We just lost Blue Jay Bella that we had for 7 years. She stayed in our pool enclosure during the day. She slept in a cage in the house at night and I hand fed her twice a day.
She nibbled on the nuts and seeds throughout the day. The pool door was left open and she flew away. This bird was the most loving bird. we even had our own calls that she mimicked.
I miss her terribly and hope she's able to survive on her own. She has been gone now for 4 days. She was clearly our family pet.
Jun 09, 2014
to alexis by: Anonymous
Hi
I'm not sure why would you want to wash the baby bird? But definitely do not try to do so because birds can drown easily.
You could also try to put the baby bird in a basket and hang it up on the same tree that it fell from, somewhere where the mom and dad could see him and fly to.
They should be looking for they're little ones!
But if they're not around you should be feeding it every 20 min or so. If you have dry dog or cat food make it soft with water, mash it up and feed it to the baby bird with a syringe or a straw little by little.
Do not attempt to give it water! She'll have enough fluid from the food. Good luck to you and good luck to the little one.
Jun 09, 2014
2 H's Hi and Help by: Alexis
Hi Megan, our tree branch came down and their were two baby birds in it. We took care of them and they slept in our mudroom last night but there is only one baby left.
I remembered that the mama bird keeps them warm but my dad said it was warm enough in there so I said okay.
When I went to go check up on them the other baby had died. So the only one that's alive is Liv, I named her that!!
I was wondering, can I wash the baby bird? Write me back
Jun 04, 2014
To Megan by: Anonymous
Megan, Thank you so much for your reply. I do see Mom and Dad coming around pretty often.
But unfortunately I'm not sure for what reason, out of the three of them only one of them seems to be okay!
The one that I see is sitting on the side of the basket, and the other two in the basket isn't moving :( Im devastated because I'm trying to think that I tried my best! Or did I do something wrong?
I did put some sheets of paper to the bottom of the basket so its more confortable but maybe I shouldn't have? Maybe it got wet and caused something... I don't know!
They all seemed healthy just yesterday. :( And I'm so scared for the one that's left, why is it standing on the edge?
What if it falls out again? and its already dark outside. Aaaaaaa im going to go crazy.
Jun 04, 2014
To anonymous by: Megan
Anonymous,
Sounds like you did a good job. Just keep an eye on the basket from far away where they can't see you. You should see mom and dad coming around at least every hour or so to feed them.
If you don't see them after several hours then they could be dead. In that case, you may have to take them in and raise them yourself or take to a bird rehab.
Most likely though, the mom and dad are not too far off. They keep a good eye on their babies and only usually give up in the case of their death.
They have invested a lot of time and energy into those babies, and they are not going to just give up on them too easy.
Also just keep an eye out for snakes. Make sure the basket is up kind of high in the tree.
Jun 03, 2014
3 baby blue jays fell out of their nest by: Anonymous
I found 3 baby blue Jays on my backyard this afernoon and since I didnt know what to do with them at first I just put them in a shoe box since it was raining very hard outside and brought them on to my porch.
After it stopped raining, which gave me enough time to do some research online I put them in a hanging basket and put them on the same tree they fell out from!
I think their mom or dad found them so I really hope they'll continue to care for them! If someone can give me any more advise, what else I should do I would really appreciate it. Thank You
May 25, 2014
The Mighty Thor: Day 10 by: MightyThorsMom
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your stories of caring for baby blue jays. So many of the sites/forums I've come across are just MEAN rehab people that sound like they have no hearts.
I tried every rehab center w/i a 3 state radius to no avail...so this is the story (thus far)of THE MIGHTY THOR!
Found a nest on ground with momma bird dead (half-eaten) and four baby blue jays (one was already dead...three others struggling)-dad was nowhere to be found. Babies had feathers on top but tummy's were just skin.
They were cold and dying. So, I brought the 3 inside & put them in a little round basket I lined with a piece of torn-up t-shirt, placed on low heating pad and covered the top almost all the way with a damp warm washcloth for moisture.
They were too weak to eat. Two died within an hour as I frantically got online and called wildlife rehabs (sorry...we're too full - put them back outside to die), vets (sorry, can't help). Finally, the one lil guy (I'm calling him a boy anyway) was still alive...barely.
I think my motherly instinct just kicked in and I picked him up and put him on my chest so he could feel my heartbeat & breath and held him for a few hours and he actually started eating (moist cat food fed with tweezers). Slept that way all night (in between feedings).
He was still alive in the morning! So I named him THE MIGHTY THOR because he's a fighter!
It took him about 3 days to come around but 10 days later he has been perching, his belly feathers have grown in and he's jumping around on the ground flapping his wings!
Today he took a birdbath out in the sun & loved it. He spends all day outside in large bird cage. I feed him every 45 minutes or so.
What am I feeding him? Kitten Chow soaked in warm water till soft, some hard boiled eggs (yolks & ground up shells), wet puppy food and I mix all of that with some baby bird food I got at PetSmart.
No water yet as he gets enough in his food & they can drown easily if given straight water (unless you get past their tongues it will go in their lungs). Keep them warm and fed and hope for the best.
I know the day will come soon that I too will have to let him fly away. No matter what happens, at least I will know, and so will he...that he was loved and not left to die a cold and alone.
I've even read stories of people who have 3 & 4 generations of babies from the blue jays they've raised and released that "come home" to roost. I hope that's the case.
May 12, 2014
our new twin baby blue jays by: Anonymous
We found twin baby blue jays yesterday on mothers day how funny. I've been chopping up worms and feeding them with water on them every two to three hours it seems to be doing okay.
They already know my voice and scream if I talk in the room. Just wondering about a feeding schedule and how to make a best up for them and if cedar chips would be OK to put them on.
Oct 08, 2012
To the lady who lost her blue jay? by: Anonymous
To the lady who lost her little friend I'm so sorry. I don't know what could have happned to him in the storm. Just keep thinking good and positive thoughts that he flew away with the other birds or he's alright and perhaps he might come back to see you one day.
I think it's best when you go as far as raising them then to just keep them. I know it might not be right but if you raise them from a baby they know nothing else but you. But you tried to do the right thing. Just next time you'll know.:)
Also have you tried calling Jay? He might be afraid to come out. Call him or her over and over again. He might come back. I hope so. Other birds will take them away to. It's just nature. I'm so sorry.
Take care, :)
Jun 18, 2012
Did you ever find your jay? by: Anonymous
We raised a baby blue jay that grew attached to us until we finally released her and thought she would fly off somewhere, but so far she has stayed in our yard for several months.
She will come down several times a day to see us and eat the food we put out for her. We are attached to her, and she still seems to have a measure of attachment to us even though she is out living on her on now.
I dread the day when she fly's away and doesn't come back. Blue Jays are super intelligent and they imprint on humans pretty easily.
If you have a newborn blue jay (without hair) you can get baby bird food formula from Pet Smart or if they are fledglings you can feed them mushed up wet cat food in small little pieces by a dropper or dull tweezers.
They have to be fed about every hour from sun up to sundown so if you can't commit to that then make sure you take them to a vet or someone that can take care of them.
May 23, 2012
What to feed your blue jay by: Anonymous
The best thing to feed the bird is earth worms and crickets.
I found a baby blue jay and the baby is about two weeks old you have to mush up the worms and feed him through a straw.
But the blue jay needed stitches so I had to give it stitches and it recovered and now is about three or four weeks old now.
May 04, 2012
Just found by: Anonymous
I just found a fledgling blue jay in my drive way at night. I picked him up and brought him in due to predators in the area and all he can do is hop so we r keeping him for the night and I will see how he does tomorrow.
I don't want him getting hurt also he is the first bird my girlfriend has not been afraid of.
Aug 11, 2011
our baby blue jay by: Anonymous
We also raised a baby blue jay for 7 weeks. I didn't realize I was so attached to her until she didn't return home last Monday.
I guess we'll never know if a cat caught her or she just decided it was time to go out on her own. We also had a storm the night she left so maybe she was blown out of her territory.
I don't think I'll ever do this again - just too sad when they leave even if that was the ultimate goal.
Jun 21, 2011
baby blue jay by: yahaira
My 7 yrs old son found a baby blue jay today and I have no idea what to do. Can anyone tell me what I could feed the baby bird now? It is illegal to keep them?
May 25, 2011
Baby Blue Jay by: B. Morgan
We just found a baby jay in our backyard. we tried to fashion a nest from a hanging basket, but the parents never fed the baby.
Two days later I heard it crying in the hanging basket. My husband took it out so we can try to save it. Any suggestions would be very welcomed!
Jul 01, 2010
Your baby Jay by: Dawn Mathews
I'm so sorry to hear you lost track of your Jay, please except my deepest regard's. We have a baby Jay, that fell out of a nest, it just has pin feather's that are blue on it's wing's.
We returned it to it's nest last night when we first found it, and watched the nest, and then today it was back on the ground. We tried our best to get it back to it's parent's, to no avail.
We tried our best to get it to a environmental conservationist, to no avail as well. We now have it under a heat light, are hand feeding it, and it seems to be doing well for now. Will you please share with us what you fed your baby Jay?
How should we plan for it's future? We live in Iowa, and the winter can be brutal! Please help us with more of your experience? My personal email, if you ask I will share with you.
