2011 Kelsey Byers (kbyers(at)alum.mit.edu), licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
CalPhotos
Western Scrub-Jays were once a rare bird in Seattle, but are now relatively common as their range has expanded northwards. This bird was spotted shortly after they were no longer considered a 'rare sighting' for the area.
A flock of Western Scrub-Jays "Mob" something near the marsh one November day. Usually they'll mob an enemy such as an owl or snake, but I never saw what their target was this time. In the same "mob" were Song and White-crowned Sparrows (which can be heard in this sample), Flickers, Gila Woodpeckers and Abert's Towhees.
I recorded this unusual vocalization of Western Scrub-Jays at very close range with a parabolic mic while they were feeding on freshly ripening Piñon Pine nuts, their favorite Fall treat! They will often "hover" below a pine cone and extract the nuts from below, and they gather in large numbers when an area of Piñons is ripening. This is a sound I heard several individuals make, and it's almost as if they're talking with their mouths full! (No manners, those Jays!)
