Blue Jay vs Great Blue Heron
Cyanocitta cristata compared with Ardea herodias
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue Jay | Great Blue Heron |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cyanocitta cristata | Ardea herodias |
| Order | Passeriformes | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Corvidae | Ardeidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 28.0 cm (11.0 in) | 117.0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 42.0 cm (16.5 in) | 183.0 cm (72.0 in) |
| Weight | 87.0 g (3.07 oz) | 2400.0 g (84.66 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — nuts (especially acorns), seeds, berries, insects, and occasionally eggs or nestlings of other … | Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless … |
| Clutch Size | 2-7 | 2-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Blue Jay
Deciduous and mixed forests, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes.
Great Blue Heron
Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.
Song & Call Comparison
Blue Jay
A harsh, ringing 'jaay-jaay-jaay'. Also mimics Red-tailed Hawk and other species convincingly. Gives soft, liquid 'bell' calls and gurgling whispers in flocks.
Great Blue Heron
Deep, harsh, croaking 'frahnk-frahnk' call in flight. Also gives low guttural grunts at the nest. Alarmed birds give repeated croaks. Mostly silent for such a large wader.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blue Jay
Eastern and central North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Some populations migrate irregularly.
Great Blue Heron
North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.
Conservation Status
Blue Jay
Great Blue Heron
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue Jay
Bright blue upperparts with black barring on the wings and tail. White face and underparts with a black necklace. Prominent blue crest.
Stout, straight black bill
Great Blue Heron
Blue-grey body with a white head bearing a broad black stripe extending to a long black plume. Rufous-brown thighs. In flight, the neck is folded into an S-shape.
Long, dagger-like yellowish bill
About These Birds
Blue Jay
The blue jay is a bold, intelligent member of the corvid family known for its striking plumage and loud calls. Blue jays are important dispersers of oak trees, as they cache thousands of acorns each autumn. Their complex social behavior includes mimicking the calls of hawks to scare other birds from feeders.
Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable speed. They nest in large colonies called heronries, often returning to the same site year after year.