Blue Jay — Birds

The story behind the answer

This is a Blue Jay: note the bright blue plumage, prominent crest, white face and underparts, and the distinctive black “necklace” across the throat, plus barred blue-and-black wings and tail. By contrast, Steller’s Jay is darker with a black head and no white face, Indigo Bunting is a small, uniform blue bird without a crest, and Eastern Bluebird has a rusty-orange breast and no black collar.

Blue Jays are common in eastern and central North America and belong to the clever corvid family. They’re famous for loud “jay!” calls and for mimicking hawks. They also cache acorns, helping spread oak forests. Memory tip: think “blue, crest,