Steller’s Jay

During the bird parade at our birdbath during the record high temperatures on 16 August 2020, most birds did not just drink, but, like this Steller’s Jay, also bathed. The nearly 100 degree F degrees may have presented the birds with heat stress as well as dehydration. These jays are known to bathe under normal conditions. Walker et al. (2020) note, however, that the crest is usually depressed “when a bird is at rest, foraging, or preening, and during courtship; higher crest angle indicates greater aggressive arousal or stress.”