Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Members of the jay family, along with those of the parrot family, are considered among the smartest of their class. We admire their ability to solve problems but recognize in our own character some of the qualities they display which are less than noble. Included among this group is the California Scrub-Jay.
Take for example their penchant for stealing from their neighbors. Jays are known for storing up food for winter. They go to great lengths to cache food securely so that others will not be able to rob from their security blanket. When he goes to hide his treasure, he will be open about his actions if his mate is watching. But should a rival bird be present, he will seek to deceive his competitor by changing the location or even pretend he is changing the location and leave the cache in place. It’s a cat-and-mouse game. There are indications that he keeps track of who has been watching as well as when and where this takes place. He does so and yet may lose up to 30 percent of his stockpile per day. What is most interesting, though, is he will resort to these tactics only if he has robbed another’s stash himself.
It reminds us of the familiar passage in Luke 6:41 where Jesus hits the nail on the head: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (RSV) From this, and the jay’s example, we might conclude those who are most concerned about pilfering are those who have been known to engage in this themselves.