Re: [SBB] Western Scrub Jay Kills and Eats House Finch at Feeder

[Dennis Braddy <[[email protected]]>]

Birders,

Several years ago we saw a Western Scrub-Jay in our backyard capture  
and eventually fly off with a still struggling House Finch.

Dennis and Patricia Braddy
San Ramon


On Jan 2, 2006, at 2:54 PM, [[email protected]] wrote:

> Today's downpour kept me indoors, watching my feeders on and off  
> throughout the day.  At about 2:30 this afternoon, a "screaming"  
> bird drew me quickly to the window, in time to see a WESTERN SCRUB  
> JAY using its feet to hold down a struggling female HOUSE FINCH  
> while plucking its chest feathers, finally killing it, and  
> beginning to eat it.  At that point my objectivity left me and I  
> left the window, nauseated.  I returned a few minutes later, to  
> find both had disappeared.  I searched both online and through my  
> bird books to find the WESTERN SCRUB JAY's feeding preferences  
> described as omnivorous.  One reference did include eggs and  
> nestlings in the WESTERN SCRUB JAY's diet, but none mentioned  
> small, adult birds.  Has anyone else observed or read about WESTERN  
> SCRUB JAYs feeding on adult birds?
> Dotty Calabrese


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