I am fascinated by birds. I love to watch them, and I love to photograph them! As I was growing up, I never cared much for blue jays, because they had a reputation for being mean. In my older years, however, I’ve taken time to learn a little more about them and have come to appreciate their intelligence, as well as the beautiful blues in their feathers.
Blue jays mostly feed on nuts, berries, seeds, insects, and the occasional small animal. They have also been known to feed on eggs or nestlings from other birds’ nests, which is one contributing factor to their bad reputation. Another factor is that they may bully other birds away from feeders. This past fall and winter, however, I observed blue jays, cardinals, titmice, nuthatches, juncos, chickadees, and sparrows (and squirrels) sharing the same yard and feeders without much controversy. While you may not like their aggressive personalities, you can’t help but admire the intelligence of blue jays. They can solve problems and use various items at their disposal as tools. They can hide things, like acorns, and have the ability to find them again later.
While I find all of this information extremely interesting (maybe just because I’m a nature nerd), one of the most fascinating things I’ve learned about blue jays is that they aren’t really blue! “Wait!! What??” Yes, that’s what I said. Blue jays aren’t really blue. “But I’m looking at a picture of one, and it’s blue! And its name says it’s blue!” Okay, okay. Perhaps I should explain just a little.
Feather color in birds is determined by chemistry and by structure. Chemical color is determined by a variety of pigments, while structural color comes from the scattering of reflected light that occurs because of the feather’s structure. I’m sure you’ve heard of the pigments chlorophyll in plants and melanin in human skin. Plants look green because the pigment chlorophyll absorbs all wavelengths of light except green, which is reflected back to our eyes. If a pigment absorbs every wavelength of light, it appears black. There are two types of pigments in feathers. Melanins appear as black, dull yellow, red, and brown. Lipochrome pigments, like carotenoids, produce brighter yellows, reds, and oranges. The structural colors in birds are mostly blues, greens, and violets. Every drab, plain, vibrant, or iridescent feather color we see is produced from the chemical and structural coloring systems working together. So, “HOW IS THE BLUE JAY NOT BLUE???”
A blue jay’s feather barbs have three layers: a colorless and transparent outer layer, a middle layer of cells containing very tiny pockets of air and a protein called keratin (the same protein in hair and fingernails), and an inner layer of cells containing melanin. This design of the feather allows something called light scattering to occur. The tiny pockets in the middle layer are, in fact, so tiny that they are known as nanostructures. Light passes through the outer layer and into the middle layer with the nanostructures that happen to match the wavelength of blue light. This allows other wavelengths of light to pass through and be absorbed by the melanin in the inner layer but causes the blue light to be reflected. That is why the blue jay appears blue!
There is no blue pigment found in the bird world (or at least rarely). If you were to crush or grind a blue jay feather, the powder would be a dull brown or grayish black because of the melanin. It would not look blue because the light scattering nanostructures would be destroyed. If you crush a cardinal’s feather, it would still be red because of the carotenoid pigments that come from the foods the cardinal eats. So a blue jay (or bluebird or indigo bunting) is not blue! It’s a complicated trick of the light! Recently, my granddaughter found a blue jay feather in the yard, so, of course, we had to check things out by holding it up to the light and turning it different ways to observe how its color changed. If the feather was backlit, it was just a dull, grayish-brown color, but, under normal lighting conditions, it was a beautiful blue!
Light transforms! It exposes! It guides! It transforms what would be a dull bird into the beautiful blue jay we recognize. It exposes things hidden in the dark that might frighten us or cause us to stumble. It guides planes in for landing and warns ships near the shore. Light is mentioned throughout the Bible from beginning to end. It was the first thing God created (Genesis 1:3). In the last chapter of the Bible, John says that night will be no more and that God’s servants will need no lamp or the sun because the Lord God will be their light (Revelation 22:5). Jesus says that He is the bright morning star (Revelation 22:16). The psalmist said God’s word was a lamp for his feet and a light for his path (Psalm 119:105). John refers to Jesus as the light of men and the true light, which gives light to everyone (John 1:4, 9). Jesus himself said he is the light of the world and whoever believes in him will not remain in darkness (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46).
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he told them they had been darkness but had become light in the Lord. He told them to walk as children of light and discern what was pleasing to the Lord and expose works of darkness (Ephesians 5:8-13). John also says that if we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another and Christ’s blood cleanses us from our sins (I John 1:7). Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world” and “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
When we allow God’s word and Christ, the true light, to shine through our lives, we are transformed from a dark, hopeless sinner into a radiant, sanctified saint. If we live in sin, we live in darkness and we stumble (John 11:9-10). We hate the light because it exposes our evil deeds or works of darkness (John 3:19-21, Ephesians 5:8-13). God’s word can light our paths, keep us out of darkness, and guide us to an eternal home in heaven. Yes, light transforms; it exposes; it guides! And when we have the true light in our lives, we are to share it or “scatter” it with others for the glory of God. The next time you see a blue jay, or any blue bird, may you be reminded of the true light that saves us from our sins!
“the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16, Isaiah 9:2
SOURCES
Bloom, J. (2016, June 30). Blue Birds Aren’t Blue, and This Is How They Fool You. Retrieved from http://www.acsh.org/
Carpenter, A. (2003, February 3). What color is a bluejay? — Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine — February 2003. Retrieved from https://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2003/feb03/jays.htm
Feinstein, J. (2006, April 21). Where feather colors come from: Why cardinals are red and grackles are shiny. Retrieved from https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/
Kaufman, K., & Kaufman, K. (2018, November). Brainy Birds. Birds & Blooms Extra!, 26-33.
Line, L. (2008, September/October). Slings and Arrows: Why Birders Love to Hate Blue Jays. Retrieved from https://www.audubon.org/
I love this! You explained everything so well! Thanks for sharing! You have a gift for explaining Our Father’s Words that I can actually understand and retain! Thanks Dana!
I feel so fortunate Ms.Adaline came into my life. You also have a special place in my heart and prayers.
Thank you, Dianna! I appreciate your kind words!