CAT OWNERS are frequently advised to keep their pets indoors, not just to prevent them from being hit by cars and attacked by predators, but also to save some of the millions of birds that are killed each year by outdoor cats.
So here is a story with an ironic twist—the perp in this case was a western scrub jay, aka Aphelocoma californica, and the victim was an indoor kitty named Gidget.
Gidget was lounging on her favorite cushion when she was awakened by the jay, who had flown through an open window (perhaps forgetting to case the joint first and thinking the house was empty) and landed on the opposite end of the couch. Gidget went into defense-attack mode and leapt at the bird before it had a chance to make a getaway. Fortunately for the jay, the homeowner was still on the premises and was able to seize the bird before Gidget was arrested on murder charges. The not-so-innocent cat had priors but this time was just given a warning because she was defending her home.
The homeowner didn’t want the perp to be a jailbird and so declined to press charges against the jay. But because the bird had suffered wounds under its wing, it was transported to the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center for investigation. While being treated for his injuries, the jay was questioned but he kept his beak shut. WERC wardens booked the 11” long, blue, gray, and white bird for home invasion, attempted theft of cat kibble, and assault with a deadly weapon—his sharp beak. The assault charge was due to his stabbing Gidget in the head, requiring stitches to stop the bleeding.
The jay’s wounds were dire but healed quickly under the staff’s medical care. During his incarceration, he was considered a flight risk—having made several escape attempts from his basket in the clinic, including while this mug shot was being taken.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website AllAboutBirds, “Western Scrub-Jays have a mischievous streak, and they’re not above outright theft. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker caches and robbing seeds and pine cones from Clark’s Nutcrackers. They even seem aware of their guilt: some scrub-jays steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching.”
During his two weeks of in-house arrest, the omnivorous jay chowed down on mealworms, peanuts, and fruit. He was released on its own recognizance to its home turf at a suburban backyard in Morgan Hill, where he flew into a walnut tree to rejoin his band (what a group of jays is called) of family and cronies. We are hoping during his parole period he has learned his lesson and stays out of trouble. Scrub jays are often bullies at the birdfeeder but this jay has met his match.
