[CT Birds] Blue Jay raptor imitations

[Glenn Williams]

Birders,

A few years back, Jim Berry of Ipswich, MA asked (on
Massbird and NH Birds) a question similar to Dave's -
What raptors do Blue Jays imitate?  He got 44
responses and wrote up the findings of his informal
survey for the April 2004 Bird Observer.  He was kind
enough to forward me the article which saved me from
sifting through my very disorganized birding journals.

To summarize the reported imitations:

Broad-winged Hawk     16
Red-shouldered Hawk   16
Red-tailed Hawk       13
Cooper's Hawk          9
Osprey                 4
Northern Goshawk       1

Jim did a bit of research and found references to Blue
Jays imitating American Kestrels and Eastern Screech
Owl.  None of the references referred to jays
imitating accipiters or Osprey.  

Jim also went into theories as to why jays imitate
raptors, which was interesting.

Glenn Williams
Mystic, CT


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