What type of bird is this?

The blue jay is a passerine bird native to North America. Resident populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada, while breeding populations can be found across southern Canada and the USA. The blue jay mainly feeds on nuts and seeds such as acorns, soft fruits, arthropods, and occasionally small vertebrates.

Blue jays are known for one strange behavior. They rub ants on their feathers, draining the ants of their formic acid before they gobble them up. This is known as “anting.” Over the years, several theories have been proposed to explain this bizarre behavior.

One theory hypothesized the excreted acid served as a safeguard against parasites and bacteria, though testing the acid on bacteria cultures showed this to be unlikely. The most probable reason is simply that the ants taste better without the acid.

Ornithologists tested this theory by exposing jays to ants with and without formic acid, the ants without acid were eaten immediately while the ones with it were treated to the rubbing ceremony.

The name "jay" derives from its noisy, garrulous nature and has been applied to other birds of the same family, which are also mostly gregarious. It is sometimes called a "jaybird".

The blue jay is a noisy, bold, and aggressive. It is a moderately slow flier when unprovoked. It flies with body and tail held level, with slow wing beats. Due to its slow flying speeds, this species makes easy prey for hawks and owls when flying in open areas.