Hi - I live in Houston, TX, and have been trying to identify a bird
that is common here and was also common when I lived in North Carolina.
I thought it was blue jay but now I do not think so. It does not seem
to have a crest and there is not a lot of blue on it but only a few blue feathers in the wings.
The rest is mostly gray with some lighter underparts. The size is about 8-9 inches.
It
lives and nests in the neighborhood near homes. There was a little one
fresh out of the nest last week literally on our door step. Adults
warned us against snakes near the house several times shrieking
persistently and flying close to the snake which we would not have
otherwise noticed. While it obviously protects its territory, it seems
to be a threat to other birds' nests. Last year, one hovered around a
dove's nest in our back yeard and then the dove's eggs mysteriously
disappeared. I also saw it on other occasions checking shrubs as if
looking for nests.
Can you please help me identify this bird? The several blue
feathers in the wings give it a distinctive look so I do not know why
it has been so hard to find it using bird identification on the
internet.
Thanks!
Lucy
