The Blue jay is a slow flier and an easy prey for hawks and owls and will scream if it sees a predator within its territory. There is also a high-pitched jayer-jayer call that increases in speed as the bird becomes more agitated. One of the most distinctive calls of this type is often referred to as the "rusty pump" owing to its squeaky resemblance to the sound of an old hand-operated water pump. Like other corvids, blue jays may learn to mimic human speech.