Some 150 animals unwittingly “plant” acorns from the trees that produced them. However, in the case of at least 11 species oaks, the only critter that routinely buries acorns and other large seeds more than several hundred yards from the trees that produced them is the blue jay.
Blue jays will cache acorns some 2½ miles away. On top of that, they do not store damaged acorns. Since blue jays never eat all of the acorns, they bury in caches scattered across the countryside. They help ensure the dispersal and survival of the trees that produced them.
