Cardinal and Blue Jay are two of America’s most beloved birds.
Yes, I know not every birder is a fan of the blue jay because of its overall mean disposition, but it has become a staple of American suburban living that it’s weird to not see them all year round.
However, their smaller fellow songbird, the cardinal, is just as popular among birders and bird watchers.
Both of them also have two distinct colors which make it easy to spark competition on which bird is the people’s favorite.
Read on for more on the Cardinal vs Blue Jay!
Cardinal VS Blue Jay
Anybody who sees both birds together will think that they are cousins.
They can be found in the same areas all year round and it also makes it easier to believe that they are similar.
The cardinal’s plumage is red, while the blue jay’s is blue. The only other visible difference is the size of each bird. I will share more blue jay vs cardinal size comparison facts for you in the coming sections.
The most important thing to note, however, is that while both are songbirds, they are as far apart from each other as a bear and a sheep is.
Size and Weight
As stated earlier, color and size are the two most visible differences between the cardinal and blue jay.
And to reiterate, the answer to the question, “Are blue jays and cardinals related?” is an emphatic “NO.”
Cardinals are from the “Cardinalidae” family, which also consists of grosbeaks and buntings, while blue jays are from the “Corvidae” family, which also consists of magpies and crows.
Here are some more blue jay vs cardinal size comparison facts for you:
- Blue jays measure between 9 to 12 inches tall, while cardinals measure between eight to nine inches tall.
- Cardinals are bigger because of their wingspan – Blue jays have a wingspan of 11 to 15 inches compared to the cardinals’ 9 to 11 inches.
- Blue jays weigh between 65 – 110 grams, while cardinals weigh between 33 – 66 grams. This means blue jays weigh more.
Coloration
Blue jays are blue, and from their name, you can tell that they are. Cardinals, on the other hand, are bright red and stand out, especially in winter.
Unlike cardinals, however, blue jays are not fully blue. They have different shades of blue in their feathers while having a differently colored underbelly (females have a gray/ashy color while males have a white underbelly).
Cardinals are fully red with bright orange patches down their sides (females are more brown than red but with bright orange patches down their sides).
Both have a touch of black in their looks: blue jays have this touch around their necks like a necklace and around their eyes like a mask, while cardinals have this black marking fully around their faces.
Beaks/bill coloration is also different: blue jays have black beaks, while cardinals have orange beaks.
Feeding Habits
Perhaps because both birds are found in the same areas in North America and environs, there is almost no difference in their feeding habits.
However, bird watchers or those who pay more attention to both birds will notice a slight difference in their diets. This difference is that blue jays are omnivores while cardinals are granivores.
Blue jays will eat insects, worms, seeds, fruits, and even the eggs and hatchlings of other smaller birds (although this is a rare part of their diet).
Cardinals, on the other hand, eat nothing but seeds and grains – sunflower, rice, millet, mustard, and so on.
This means that cardinals require more feeders than blue jays do because insects and worms are naturally occurring. Seeds, too, are naturally occurring, but humans have a monopoly on that food source.
Nesting Behavior
Blue jays have unique nesting behaviors that make them stand out from other birds, not just cardinals.
The males and females practice building nests after the female selects a prime location before she takes it upon herself to build the family nest.
The prime location for blue jays to construct their nests is in the upper third of a tall deciduous or coniferous tree.
Scientists believe this influences blue jay feeding habits, although there isn’t much research to support this.
Cardinals, on the other hand, prefer lower nesting locations situated between three and ten feet off the ground.
They rely on things like grass and pine needles to construct their nests which are often situated in dense shrubs, thickets, or tangled vines, that provide additional protection and concealment.
Like blue jays, though, cardinal females construct their nests.
Geographical Distribution
Both birds can be found in the same areas but have specific habitat preferences, especially the cardinals.
Blue Jays are native to eastern and central North America. They call the east of the USA and parts of southern Canada home.
The eastern and central regions of North America are home to Cardinals.
They clash with Blue Jays in the eastern parts of the US – from southern Maine to Florida and westward to Texas, Oklahoma, and parts of New Mexico. They also extend their range into parts of southeastern Canada.
Blue Jays adapt to any kind of habitat in these areas. They can make their home in forests, woodlands, parks, gardens, and suburban areas.
Cardinals, on the other hand, are commonly found in open woodlands, forest edges, gardens, and shrubby areas – basically, areas that provide cover for their nests.
Final Thoughts
One final thing that you need to note: Both birds are territorial.
You could find yourself watching a turf war between the red and the blue gangs on off days.
The fact that they co-exist in the same spaces means that they have to compete for the same food sources or nesting locations.
The only way they can coexist peacefully is if they live in areas with abundant resources, such as large and diverse food supplies.
This is where you come in, friend!
Your feeders make cardinals forage less which allows the blue jays to have a larger share of the wild.
