Eurasian jay / Eichelhäher (Garrulus glandarius)

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Eichelhäher close-up. 2026-03-24 11:24:32 Bolle di Magadino

Observations

First documented observation: 2020-04-17 in Wald Fehraltorf. Most recent observation: 2026-03-24 in Bolle di Magadino.

Description

Classification: Genus Garrulus (Garrulus); Family Corvidae (Corvidae)
General: The German name Häher is the English name jay, both being onomatopoeic
General: Deutschland: Brut-, Jahres-, Zugvogel, Wintergast
Etymology: Nachahmung des Vogelrufs...mittelhochdeutsch heher [Der deutsche Wortschatz (DSDW.de)]
[22] Viele der Namen sind lautmalerisch und ahmen verschiedene Rufe nach wie Gäckser, Tschäcker, Jägg, Gäbsch oder Gräcke. [Link]
Vocalization: Large repertoire. Many other social sounds. [Link]

Seasonal behavior

Year-round bird
Breeding: 04-11 - 06-29
Migration in: 04-01 - 06-09
Migration out: 08-29 - 11-06
More details at Vogelwarte.ch

Other Details

Physical details

Physical details: length=34-35 cm, wingspan=52-58 cm, weight=140-190 g
Habitats: Forest

Vocalisation

Song: Harsh crow-like call, or quiet questioning, 'grumbling', or plaintive cries.
Song: Quiet and varied subsong with mimicry, resembling a small passerine heard from both sexes. [Link] Song attributes: Melody: non-musical, fast, Frequency: medium (1-5 KHz) Special sounds: cawing, mimicry
Calls: Most heard call a short, drawn and very hoarse, raspy sound, often given in quick successions. Also a Buzzard-like, mewing "peeeaaa" (more drawn and less full tone than Siberian Jay). [Link] 1: Typically harsh jay call. I would say a contact call usually means 'Here I am', answered by 'Good, here I am.' Listening to two jays in the Swiss mountains of Toggenburg, it sounded like 'HEY IDIOT, HERE I AM...WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?' 'WHAT? YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT? OF COURSE I'M OVER HERE. PEABRAIN.' On the other hand, anthropomorphism is always dangerous, usually completely wrong approach.
XC536051 Eurasian Jay harsh call 20s.

XC536051 Eurasian Jay harsh call 20s.Source: XENOCANTO XC536051 Eurasian Jay harsh call 20s.mp3 (call)

2: We saw and heard a jay (Eichelhaeher) at the Pfaeffikersee imitating a common buzzard - very cool.
XC97136 - Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius - imitating common buzzard.

XC97136 - Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius - imitating common buzzard.Source: XENOCANTO XC97136 - Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius - imitating common buzzard.mp3 (Imitation of another bird's call)


Call attributes: Call melody: one note, slow, Frequency: medium (1-5 KHz), Special sounds: rasp.

Media


Eichelhäher bei Levanto. 2024-05-30 06:08:10 Levanto

Eichelhäher beim Wildertweiher. 2025-05-08 17:43:27 Greater Fehraltorf

Eichelhäher. 2026-03-24 11:25:03 Bolle di Magadino

Eichelhäher hat was gutes gefunden. 2026-03-24 10:35:48 Bolle di Magadino

Eichelhäher Paar. 2026-03-23 09:49:50 Bolle di Magadino

Eichelhäher. 2025-04-26 13:55:36 Bolle di Magadino

Singdrossel, Buchfink, Rotkehlchen, Eichelhäher, Rabenkrähe, bei 39s und 53s Specht - evtl Grünspecht. Wildert 2026-02-28 08:46:20 Singers: Song thrush, Common chaffinch🐦, European robin🐦, Eurasian jay🐦, Carrion crow🐦, Eurasian green woodpecker🐦
♫ 2026-02-28 08:46:20 Source: Zoom H2n Wildert (song?)

Eichelhäher usw bei Wildert. Wildert 2025-10-31 14:23:00 ♫ 2025-10-31 14:23:00 Wildert (song?)

2025-11-11 1540 Nov 11 • Fehraltorf, Zürich, CH Mindestens 3 Eichelhäher plus Wintergoldhähnchen. Fehraltorf Singers: Eurasian jay, Goldcrest🐦
Fehraltorf (song?)

Birdnet 1013 - Eurasian jay - Tremona. Tremona 2020-10-16 13:50:28 ♫ 2020-10-16 13:50:28 Source: BirdNet 20201016_135028 birdnet 1013 - Eurasian jay - Tremona.mp3 Tremona (song?)

Buntspecht, Eichelhäher, usw bei Wildert. Wildert 2025-10-31 14:09:00 Singers: Great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian jay🐦
♫ 2025-10-31 14:09:00 Wildert (song?)

Eichelhäher klingt als ob es ihm nicht gut geht, dann Rufe, ab 17s klickende Rufe TBI, Mönchsgrasmücke. Switzerland 2025-05-08 17:40:34 Callers: Eurasian jay, Black cap warbler🐦
♫ 2025-05-08 17:40:34 Source: Zoom H2n Switzerland (call)


Rotschnabel-Sonnenvogel, Eichelhäher beim Olivenhain. Switzerland 2025-10-06 15:53:00 Singers: Red-billed leiothrix, Eurasian jay🐦
♫ 2025-10-06 15:53:00 Switzerland (song)

Birdnet 488 BirdNet guesses eurasian hobby or eurasian jay - No confident detection. Hungerseeli 2020-05-07 13:14:03 Singers: Eurasian hobby, Eurasian jay🐦
♫ 2020-05-07 13:14:03 Source: BirdNet 20200507_131403 birdnet 488 BirdNet guesses eurasian hobby or eurasian jay - No confident detection.mp3 Hungerseeli (song?)

Birdnet 257 faint clacking of eichelhäher in background - Common chiffchaff. Wald Fehraltorf 2020-04-17 08:09:58 Singers: Eurasian jay, Common chiffchaff🐦
♫ 2020-04-17 08:09:58 Source: BirdNet 20200417_080958 birdnet 257 faint clacking of eichelhaeher in background - Common chiffchaff.mp3 Wald Fehraltorf (song?)

Soft introspective song in bg near Eichelhäher. Luppmen 2020-04-23 10:53:43 ♫ 2020-04-23 10:53:43 Luppmen (song)

Übliche Eichelhäher Ruf wie flucken, plus Singdrossel. Staldenweiher 2026-02-26 08:48:42 Callers: Eurasian jay, Song thrush🐦
♫ 2026-02-26 08:48:42 Source: Zoom H2n Staldenweiher (call)

Im wald wild mix including eurasian jay. Hungerseeli 2020-05-07 10:35:45 ♫ 2020-05-07 10:35:45 Hungerseeli (song?)

XC519564 Eurasian Jay strange song maybe like grumbling I heard, what BirdID calls a buzzard-like, mewing peeeaaa.Source: XENOCANTO XC519564 Eurasian Jay strange song maybe like grumbling I heard, what BirdID calls a buzzard-like, mewing peeeaaa .mp3 (song)


Eine Gruppe 3-4 Eichelhäher, dazu Singdrossel usw. Gsangweg 2026-03-07 09:04:16 Singers: Eurasian jay, Song thrush🐦
♫ 2026-03-07 09:04:16 Source: Zoom H2n Gsangweg (song?)

Birdnet 1405 - Eurasian Jay - 2021-04-04 08:11:14 - Eurasian Jay - Lugano. Lugano 2021-04-04 08:11:14 ♫ 2021-04-04 08:11:14 Source: BirdNet 20210404_081114 birdnet 1405 - Eurasian Jay - 2021-04-04 08:11:14 - Eurasian Jay - Lugano.mp3 Lugano (song?)

Birdnet 919 wild guess eurasian Jay - No confident detection - Levanto. Levanto 2020-09-14 10:26:01 ♫ 2020-09-14 10:26:01 Source: BirdNet 20200914_102601 birdnet 919 wild guess eurasian Jay - No confident detection - Levanto.mp3 Levanto (song?)

Singdrossel, Rabenkrähe, ab 47s Stockente, evt. Eichelhäher, und mehr. Wildert 2026-02-28 08:51:28 Singers: Song thrush, Carrion crow🐦, Mallard🐦, Eurasian jay🐦
♫ 2026-02-28 08:51:28 Source: Zoom H2n Wildert (song?)

Birdnet 1006 en route to Tremona, wild guess Eurasian Jay - No confident detection - Tremona. Tremona 2020-10-16 12:00:59 ♫ 2020-10-16 12:00:59 Source: BirdNet 20201016_120059 birdnet 1006 en route to Tremona, wild guess Eurasian Jay - No confident detection - Tremona.mp3 Tremona (song?)

Birdnet 1029 Oberreitenbachholzweg bei Rumlikon - Eurasian jay - Fehraltorf. Fehraltorf 2020-10-22 15:22:09 ♫ 2020-10-22 15:22:09 Source: BirdNet 20201022_152209 birdnet 1029 Oberreitenbachholzweg bei Rumlikon - Eurasian jay - Fehraltorf.mp3 Fehraltorf (song?)

Zwei Eichelhaeher machen ihre lauten, unfreundlich klingenden Rufe, dazwischen ein bisschen Zirpen von anderen. Fehraltorf 2026-02-24 16:05:42 ♫ 2026-02-24 16:05:42 Source: Zoom H2n Fehraltorf (call)

Eichelhäher, etc. Switzerland 2025-02-05 15:23:00 ♫ 2025-02-05 15:23:00 Switzerland (song?)

Eichelhäher, Grünspecht, usw bei Wildert. Wildert 2025-05-08 17:37:00 Singers: Eurasian jay, Eurasian green woodpecker🐦
♫ 2025-05-08 17:37:00 Wildert (song?)

Nine birds from SoundId plus mönchsgrasmücke, eichelhäher. Wald Fehraltorf 2024-09-08 08:17:00 Singers: Black cap warbler, Eurasian jay🐦
♫ 2024-09-08 08:17:00 Wald Fehraltorf (song?)

Additional Images


Eichelhäher im Wald bei Bolle di Magadino. 2025-04-26 13:55:26 Bolle di Magadino

Habe diesen Eichelhäher gehört, war nicht sicher das ich ein Foto geschafft habe. 2024-12-05 14:08:11 Wald Fehraltorf

Eichelhäher in Braco-Mesco. 2024-05-31 07:47:35 Levanto

Eichelhäher im Hönggerwald. 2021-03-27 17:09:37 Wald auf dem Hoenggerberg

Eichelhäher, Ponte Brolla vor Ristorante Enzo. 2020-06-16 18:38:43 Engadin

Eichelhäher for profile. 2020-04-17 08:48:34 Fehraltorf

Web pages with this species:

Levanto, May 26-June 2 2024 / Fall and winter at home / Winter at home / Spring is the thing, time to sing - 2025 / A FOK3 expedition to Bolle di Magadino... / August till Winter - 2025 / Another year: 2026 / Bolle di Magadino 2026