Dear Ian and Tweeters:

In my experience, they do it all the time! Mimicry by Steller's Jays seems
to occur most often in the breeding season, often as part of a rather soft,
rambling sort of "whisper song". It is vastly different from the other
raucous noises they produce, and can "throw you for a loop" the first time
you hear it.

I've also heard GRAY JAYS mimic, but much less frequently than Steller's.
Once, while giving N. Pygmy-Owl "toots" near Penticton, B.C., my friends and
I got a response from a bird which seemed to be approaching us. When it
finally flew into a nearby treetop, the bird was not a Pygmy-Owl, but a Gray
Jay giving a perfect Pygmy-Owl imitation.

Give yourself credit for recognizing the mimicry, Ian. Most birders either
don't know their bird calls well enough, or don't pay close enough
attention, that they often fail to recognize vocal mimicry when they hear it
(except in obvious cases like EUROPEAN STARLING and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD,
which repeat each imitation several times). For instance, how many of you
know that PURPLE FINCHES, CASSIN'S FINCHES, PINE SISKINS, and LESSER
GOLDFINCHES (but not AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES) are all accomplished vocal
mimics, which imitate a wide variety of other species in their songs? The
delivery rate in the songs of these finches is so rapid that it can be hard
to pick out the mimicry even if you know the calls, but try to do so next
time you hear one of these species singing.

Wayne C. Weber
114-525 Dalgleish Drive
Kamloops, B.C. V2C 6E4
Phone: (250) 377-8865
wayne_weber at bc.sympatico.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: ian paulsen <ipaulsen at linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 3:38 PM
Subject: Steller's Jay mimicry


HI Tweeters:


I have a Steller's Jay in my neighborhood that mimics the following:
Bald Eagle, Northern Flicker, European Starling and what sounds like a tin
horn! I have heard Steller's jays mimic Red-tailed Hawks before but not
these many birds/sounds. Has anyone out there heard a Steller's Jay mimic
like this?


Sincerely

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Is., WA
ipaulsen at linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us
"Rallidae all the way"