Expert: Julia Booth - 7/17/2008

Question
Julia, last week in Tulsa, OK, my wife and I saw a bluejay alight on a cleared flower bed covered with mulch.  This bird lowered itself and then carefully spread its tail and lowered it to the ground, then spread its wings one at a time and lowered them to the ground and finally lowered its head and stayed there for several minutes.  The next afternoon, in nearly the same place a male cardinal did about the same thing, lowering its body to the ground, spreading its tail, although not as completely as the jay, and its wings, again not as completely as the jay, and then its body, resting its head against a wooden fence for some minutes before being disturbed and flying away.  

My question is what is this behavior?  I've never seen it before, but I'm just a sort of beginner birdwatcher.  

Thanks for an answer.  sid

Answer
Okay, well off the top of my head, nothing is coming to me. My first instinct is that the behavior is territoral in some way -based on your physical description. Males may be competing for that location. They might have mates nesting nearby. Both Cardinals and Jays are aggressive during breeding season. Neither are real dependent on their sense of smell, though. If it was a mammal, I might think that it might be the scent of a female that was drawing them there.

You can continue to observe that spot. Perhaps something more will become apparent.