Jay — Birds

The story behind the answer

Jay is correct. Jays are medium-sized members of the crow family with a stout bill, often a head crest and bold, often blue, patterning, and loud “jay!” calls. That sets them apart from crows and blackbirds, which are typically all-black and crestless, and from hummingbirds, which are tiny, hovering nectar feeders with long, needlelike bills.

Highly intelligent, jays cache thousands of acorns and later recover many by memory, inadvertently planting new oaks. Some species even mimic hawk calls to deter rivals. Memory tip: Jay = jarring “jay!” voice, jaunty crest, and acorn-hoarding genius among the corvids.