Warble UK
Jay
Photo: Luc Viatour / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Birds / Crows

Jay

Garrulus glandarius

Also known as Eurasian jay

Common All year WoodlandGardens
Test yourself

Recording: Niels Krabbe / xeno-canto

Sounds like

A harsh, tearing scream, 'kschaak', that carries through woodland. Can also mimic other birds.

Remember it

Sounds like cloth being ripped.

When and where

Listening for the jay

Heard
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
All year round
Time of day
Day
Where
Woodland, Gardens
In Britain
All year
Family
Crows

Could you pick out a jay?

Hear a song, choose from four birds, and build your streak.

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Same habitat

Also in woodland

See all
Blackbird

Blackbird

Turdus merula
JFMAMJJASOND

Slow, rich, fluting phrases that wander about and often trail off into a quiet chuckle.

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus
JFMAMJJASOND

Two or three thin, high notes followed by a fast, shimmering trill: 'tsee-tsee-tsuhuhuhu'.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs
JFMAMJJASOND

A cheerful, accelerating run of notes that tumbles down and ends in a flourish, repeated over and over.

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Periparus ater
JFMAMJJASOND

A fast, high, two-note phrase repeated several times: 'pitchoo-pitchoo-pitchoo'.