Blue Jay Mini Original

This songbird has surely ruffled some feathers with his bold (aggressive? Assertive?) behavior. Yet, he symbolizes the values of tight-knit community, being heard, and using your abilities to achieve your goals. Blue Jays communicate
with each other both vocally and physically, using their crest. When incubating, feeding young, or associating with a mate or family, the crest is held down; when alarmed or fending off predators, the crest goes up.

As members of the Corvid family, they can mimic other birds and even humans if necessary—a trickster, but for reasons of survival! Even their plumage is tricky—it is not derived from pigments but the result of light interference through their surface feathers. We perceive blue, but it’s actually black.

Diet consists of acorns (they’ve been responsible for propagating many an oak tree), nuts, seeds, fruit, and insects, though will pick up dead or injured small vertebrates. Both males and females build the nest together, though males do more foraging and females do more building. Both nurture young for up to 2 months after hatching. Males are a bolder blue color while females are more muted blue and gray.

If Blue Jay can deliver a singular message, it’s to be yourself, boldly.

Original mixed media on raw stretched canvas with maple float frame.