Clever jays switch food-finding tactics

[Still Waters]

Jays demonstrate "flexible tactics" by switching between storing food and stealing from others' stashes, scientists have found.

The woodland birds are known as the shy members of the notoriously intelligent corvid family.

But birds were observed boldly stealing food from subordinates' hiding places in the University of Cambridge study.

Researchers found that the jays' strategy was dependent on the relative social rank of their opponent.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19660267

[Ashotep]

Probably storing their own but eating everyone elses food first.

We have Blue Jays here and they are aggressive if you are near their nest. I feed the birds sometimes in the winter and the little snow birds will take off if even one Jay shows up but if a Cardinal shows up the Jay will run and the little snow birds will come back.