Trilling question

[burningdog72]

Hello, quick question for you all. I have 2-month old Olandsk Dwarf, 6 hens and 3 roos. I was sitting outside with them, when a Blue Jay began it's "crowing". All 9 stood up dead straight, froze, and started trilling. After about 20-30 seconds of solid trilling and remaining perfectly still, they all took off and ran into the coop.
So, is trilling a communication for danger? Probably had never heard a close, crowing Blue Jay...
Or was there something else going on, maybe that I'm not aware of?
I wished I had my camera to video it - it was almost surreal...

 

[sourland]

Trilling is a danger call generally reserved for aerial predators in my experience.

 

[burningdog72]

Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

Ah! I was in the run today and two of my pullets did that. The third went about scratching in the dirt, and the rooster said nothing but looked very alert.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I agree with Sour, it's an alert call. My flock also use it when the crop duster flies over

 

[CatsandCrops]

Ours also do it when hawks fly by. SOOO thankful for a fully enclosed run - we had a hawk LAND on the edge of our run and just stare down at the girls who all scattered under/in the coop.

They use to do it for the neighbor's cat too but I think they realize he isn't a threat/can't get to them. He often sun baths near their run