The jay is one of the woodlands most distinctive bird species, with its beautiful pink plumage with blue panels on its wings. It’s recognisable ‘screeching’ call is also a common feature of English woodlands, but did you know that it is the smallest member of the crow family?

They jay is one of the most important animals for woodland creation as it is responsible for planting more oak trees than any other species! The Jay ‘caches’ thousands of acorns every autumn, often in bramble banks or blackthorn thickets, and the ones it forgets grow into new trees.

The jay will start nesting from April, and pairs mate for life. The female will lay four to five eggs in their messy looking nests. She will then sit on the eggs for around 16 days and then the chicks fledge after 22 days.