Arnold Webb, Jr., age 12, of Asheville, North Carolina, for his question:

How can you tell the male from the female blue Jay?

You can't tell by looking at them because Mr. and Mrs. Jay wear matching outfits. The color scheme varies considerably among blue jay cousins living in different parts of North America. But wherever they live, the male and female look exactly alike. Though handsome, the jays are not the best characters in the bird world. Mrs. Jay's squawk is just as loud and sassy as her husband's. She is just as scrappy and just as likely to help herself to a share of your picnic.

The time to tell them apart is at nesting time. Both parents help to build the secretive nest. But only the female sits on the eggs. So, if you see her cosily sitting there, you know that the other one is her husband. And if you wait quietly and patiently, you may see Mr. Jay bring his nesting wife a morsel of food. Later, both parents will bring food to the hungry chicks    and once again you cannot tell the male from the female.