Do blue jays have a peanut sensor in their brains?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

I haven't seen any blue jays all summer, but yesterday I put some peanuts out for the squirrels and chipmunks and a blue jay appeared within minutes. How do they do that?

[Mike 03]

1. They do...

I ground feed birds and used to only put out peanuts occasionally. Within minutes the blue jays would appear. Now I put out peanuts whenever I can find them. The jays here have learned to try other things that I put out. They seem to like this porch and patio mix of nuts and berries I put out. But if I want to see jays, I put out peanuts. My mother NEVER put out peanuts until one day I gave her some to put out. She lined them up on the railing on her deck and within fifteen minutes she was watching two blue jays taking turns coming to the railing and they removed all the peanuts in a couple of minutes.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. But how do they find peanuts so quickly? Do they just fly around looking for them?

Do they lurk in trees hoping someone will put out some peanuts? Can they smell them? It's the weirdest thing. I just put some more peanuts on my porch rail and a blue jay turned up in less than five minutes. The other weird thing is that they pick up a peanut and put it down, then try another and another until they find one they like, and then they swallow it (I read they have a neck pouch for storage so it's not really swallowing), find another peanut, and then fly away.

[5X]

2. Thats how they navigate, peanut to peanut.

[think4yourself]

3. Fascinating!

I’m going to try it. I love seeing them but not listening to them. lol