The Blue Jay impresario of Hiram Village was at it again on Friday the 30th, whistling out amazing imitations of Broad-winged Hawk and (for the first time that I've heard) Osprey calls in the rain while perched in the tree above the feeder station. For the second year running this same Jay has been cranking out the hits, from the two above mentioned species to Red-shouldered Hawk (the imitation I've heard the most frequently) to Red-tailed Hawk to European Starling to an actual musical interval (a minor 3rd) that I heard him singing last year. As far as I'm concerned he may as well start his own covers band.
What purpose do these imitations serve? To be honest I haven't done my research on the topic, but to me it appears to be a strategy to scare away or discourage the other birds & squirrels who hang around the feeder, so he can get the peanuts I occasionally toss out the window. He always looks down when he does it, toward the ground where I throw them, and appears to have quite a relaxed attitude when doing so, belying his agitated-sounding repertoire. You can hear a Red Squirrel who's getting a little peeved in the first recording.
4/30 checklist with audio:
Sean Smith
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