Subject: [Tweeters] Jay mimicry
Date: Feb 14 10:15:07 2009
From: Richard Schneider - rchrdschndr at gmail.com


Howdy

I have heard blue jays in the South do a very convincing red-shouldered
hawk, and a less impressive red-tailed hawk.

I haven't heard any obvious mimicry from our scrub jays. But from now 'til
summer, a few times a month, at least one of the neighborhood steller's jays
does a thrasher-like concert from a low perch, say 10-15 feet up. I've
heard white-eyed vireos do a similar thing too. The volume is low, I can't
hear it from the other side of the house for instance. I can't say that any
of it constitutes stolen lyrics, it's just too jumbled and breathless. I
believe there's a rule that the jay must be alone. There's never another
one around when it happens. Don't know what that's about.

It's nice, but I don't know what it's for.

--
Richard Schneider
Port Angeles, WA
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