Living Sanibel: The blue jay and northern cardinal are always a delight to see
Blue jay
(Cyanocitta cristata)
A member of the crow family, the blue jay is a fairly common sight on the islands. Known for its loud call, jay, jay, jay, or sometimes thief, thief, thief, this very attractive bird is also an excellent mimic, known to imitate the cry of the red-shouldered hawk and the osprey to the point where even an experienced birder cannot tell the difference.
A fairly large bird, the blue jay often raids the nests of smaller birds, such as the Carolina wren, prairie warbler, and common yellowthroat. It will take both the eggs and sometimes the chicks. This characteristic is somewhat offset by the blue jay’s tendency to go after other large predators that would be far more likely to take the adult bird of these same species. That includes eagles, hawks, and owls, which the blue jay harasses to no end when they fly into its territory.
Its diet includes just about anything smaller than itself: carrion, eggs, chicks, acorns, nuts, frogs, fish, snails, small mammals, seeds, and even green and Cuban anoles. Monogamous but not always for life, the blue jay tends to switch partners every few years, allowing for a number of different couplings over its 17-year life span. It is a solitary nester. Hawks and owls prey upon the adult blue jay.
Northern cardinal
(Cardinalis cardinalis)
The brilliantly colored northern cardinal holds the record for being named a state bird, having achieved that honor in seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. (The meadowlark comes in second with six states, and the mockingbird, Florida’s state bird, is a close third with five.) On Sanibel and Captiva, the northern cardinal is always a delight to see, especially during the spring when the male takes on its richer breeding plumage, giving its bright red color an almost fluorescent hue. The female has a duller coloration that sometimes resembles a cedar waxwing. The cardinal raises up to three broods during the breeding season, which runs from March through August.
The male northern cardinal can often be found pecking at itself in rearview mirrors, tinted windows, and even hubcaps. Extremely territorial, the male will shag off rivals that stray into its well-defended area. The cardinal feeds primarily on seeds and berries, and contributes to the dissemination of poison ivy throughout Sanibel and Captiva by eating the seeds of the ivy then scattering them via its digestive tract.
The cardinal is monogamous and a solitary nester. It is occasionally subject to parasitic cowbird hatchlings, and its nests are sometimes raided by fish crows, grackles, snakes, and rats. The cardinal is expanding its range westward and northward across the United States.
This is an excerpt from Living Sanibel – A Nature Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands by Charles Sobczak. The book is available at all the Island bookstores, Baileys, Jerry’s and your favorite online sites.