Baby blue jays: from egg to fledgling
A Blue Jay lays 2–7 eggs. They hatch after 16–18 days, and the young leave the nest 17–21 days later — about 33–39 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–18 days
- Time in the nest
- 17–21 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 33–39 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season (occasionally 2)
- Nest
- Open cup of twigs in tree crotches, usually 10–25 ft up
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (16–18 days): 2–7 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (17–21 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season blue jays mainly eat caterpillars, beetles and grasshoppers, seeds and fruit.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young blue jays are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season (occasionally 2). Pairs often start a new nest soon after the first young become independent.
When blue jays nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Mar) and latest in Maine (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar–Jul |
| Arkansas | Apr–Jul |
| Florida | Mar–Jul |
| Georgia | Mar–Jul |
| Illinois | Apr–Jul |
| Indiana | Apr–Jul |
| Iowa | Apr–Jul |
| Kansas | Apr–Jul |
| Kentucky | Apr–Jul |
| Louisiana | Mar–Jul |
| Maine | May–Jul |
| Michigan | Apr–Jul |
| Minnesota | May–Jul |
| Mississippi | Mar–Jul |
| Missouri | Apr–Jul |
| Nebraska | Apr–Jul |
| New York | Apr–Jul |
| North Carolina | Apr–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | May–Jul |
| Ohio | Apr–Jul |
| Oklahoma | Apr–Jul |
| Ontario | May–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | Apr–Jul |
| Quebec | May–Jul |
| South Carolina | Mar–Jul |
| Tennessee | Apr–Jul |
| Texas | Mar–Jul |
| Vermont | May–Jul |
| Virginia | Apr–Jul |
| Wisconsin | May–Jul |
| Wyoming | May–Jul |
Found a baby Blue Jay?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about blue jays
Frequently asked
How long do baby blue jays stay in the nest?
About 17–21 days after hatching. Eggs take 16–18 days to hatch, so it is roughly 33–39 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Blue Jay lay?
2–7 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season (occasionally 2).
Where do blue jays nest?
Open cup of twigs in tree crotches, usually 10–25 ft up.
What should I do if I find a baby Blue Jay on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.