The coloration of the blue jay comes from light interference due to the internal structure of their feathers - if a feather is crushed, it will not maintain its blue coloration.
Blue jays are highly curious birds, and young blue jays have been known to play with bottle caps and aluminum foil.
Blue jays breed from mid-March to July.
Blue jays prefer to nest in evergreen trees and shrubs 10 to 35 feet off the ground.
Blue jays typically form monogamous pairs and stay together for life.
Blue jays normally fly at speeds of 20-25 miles per hour.
Blue jay eggs may be predated by squirrel, cats, crows, snakes, raccoons, possums, hawks, and various raptors and mammals.
There are four subspecies of blue jay: the northern blue jay, which live in Canada and the northern U.S. and has fairly dull plumage and pale blue coloration; the coastal blue jay, which lives on the southern coast of the eastern united states and is vivid blue; the interior blue jay, which lives throughout the midwest U.S.; and the Florida blue jay, the smallest subspecies, which is similar in color to the northern blue jay.
Blue jays are highly beneficial to other flora and fauna in their ecosystem: their characteristic 'jay' call warns other birds of predators, and their fondness of acorns is credited with spreading oak forests across North America.
I found this one in my backyard, in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida.
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