A rakish, eye-catching crest really sets some birds apart. Picture the Blue Jaysof the East… or Stetter’s Jays of the West.

Ajay’s crest is made up of a slender array of feathers on top of its head. Thesefeathers are a bit longer and can be spiked up or slicked back, depending onwhat the bird is trying to communicate.

Whenjays are sitting on eggs, feeding their young, or hanging out with their mate,their crests lie low. But in the case of heightened arousal, like in courtshipor conflict, a jay’s sharply raised crest tells a tale.

Thesame goes for Northern Cardinals and, perhaps, most crested birds. Even birdswithout crests, like crows or sparrows, sometimes puff up their short crownfeathers.

Whysome species have crests and others don’t remains a complex evolutionaryquestion dating back to the dinosaurs.