Many of you have heard that Canada now has an official national bird, the Gray Jay. It seems to me that there must have been other, not necessarily better, but alternative considerations. One might have been the Common Raven, a symbol of Canada’s vast wilderness. The raven is found from the rugged West Coast and British Columbia’s sea of mountains to the Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland, with its often-inhospitable wild coastline. Then there is the Common Loon and Canada Goose, which may have been likely candidates.
The jays, crows and ravens are all in one large family, the Corvidae. Their characteristics and habits are much the same – largish, gregarious, omnivorous, sporting tough bills. Calls are generally raucous but sometimes soft and almost musical. When first getting acquainted with the less familiar life of the Stellar’s Jays, I noted how soft they could vocalize while preening their feathers in the bright spring sunshine. The Gray Jay’s calls, when foraging or loafing about, are often soft whistles.
Gray Jays are a familiar sight at forest campsites, picnic areas, and on trails where they may be seen launching into a fixed-wing glide down to a food item. They learn fast that humans are quite prone to offer handouts. Once they gain some trust, they may even take food from the hand. Stellar’s Jays seem, to me, to be more hesitant in that matter. But it seems that, if the opportunity affords it, all of the Corvidae are also apt to feed on baby birds and eggs. Gray Jays will eat just about anything, including berries, small animals, and even engorged ticks on the backs of moose.
Next to Chickadees, Gray Jays may still be familiar birds around hunting camps. Here, they were not only called Camp Robbers but, in the Maritimes, were often known as Moose Birds. A hunter would be out in the birch bush, tapping a rifle barrel with a penknife to arouse the curiosity of a moose. But, first to show up, would be a Moose Bird. Gray Jays have been known to follow hunters, anticipating offers of lunch bits or scraps from the day’s hunt. They will also follow coyotes, bears and cougars for easy leftovers.
Gray Jays are also known as Whiskey Jacks, and by the one-time official name Canada Jay. Apparently Whiskey Jack is an English rendition of a Cree word meaning “mischief maker”. One name I found, which I had never heard of before, was Gorby. Perhaps Gray Jays enjoy ‘gorby food’ – a hiker’s trail mix of raisins, sunflower seeds and so on. (I remember it as squirrel food.)
Gray Jays don’t migrate, at least in the usual usage of the term. They winter in the same general areas in which they nest. In winter they may move down from higher elevations, where there is less snow cover to forage in coniferous and mixed forests (and at bird feeders).
Not many birds are nesting when Gray Jays engage in ‘housekeeping’. They have been observed incubating in late winter and in minus 30 degrees Celsius. Great Horned Owls nest at a similar time, followed by Horned Larks and varied thrushes in April.
Locally, the fledged young of the Gray Jay have been seen in April. A Gray Jay pair usually builds their nest together using twigs, finer twigs, lichens and soft materials such as moss and feathers for lining the nest.
Gray Jays are fearless, bold and dauntless birds. They need to be that way in order to survive in Canada’s north and on high mountain slopes, both in summer and cold winters when they seek out food stored in trees during late summer and early fall. In winter, at lower elevations, they may be seen near groves and forests of mixed tree species. Rural and forestry roads and trails hold great possibilities of catching a glimpse of Canada’s national bird – the Gray Jay. If you participate in the Christmas Bird Count, you may tour Arrow Creek, Canyon or West Creston Roads where you just might find a Gray Jay looking back at you. The Christmas Bird Count will start at the Lutheran Church basement at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27. Contact Sharon at 428-7289 if you would like to record birds coming to your feeder or would like to participate in a birding field trip. In the mean time, watch out for the Gray Jay!
Ed McMackin is a biologist by profession but a naturalist and hiker by nature. He can be reached at 250-866-5747.