Nature
Notes for November 25, 2016
Who
could have imagined that a meeting of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
would generate so much comment on social media? As well, it was covered by all
of the major newspapers and was the subject of a phone-in on CBC radio on
Monday. The subject of all this attention: the nomination of Gray Jay as
Canada’s National Bird.
Many
people were surprised to learn that Canada does not have an official national
bird. The RCGS decided that one should be appointed in time for Canada 150
celebrations. In 2015, they quietly started a contest in which people were asked
to nominate their choice for national bird. The list was whittled down to 5. At
a recent meeting, the RCGS debated and discussed with partners at Bird Studies Canada
and decided to recommend Gray Jay for the position.
The colour bands identifies this as a Gray Jay
which is part of the long-term study in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Photo © Rob Lonsberry Photography
The bird is a corvid, the same family of birds as
Blue Jay, American Crow and Common Raven. It is a bit smaller than a Blue Jay,
with a gray back, white underparts, white on the top of the head and black on
the nape. Male and female have the same plumage.
The
official name of this bird is Gray Jay (spelled with an “a”, although
spellcheck may decide to change it to an “e”.) For many years the bird was
called Canada Jay, but the American Ornithologists' Union decided to change it
to Gray Jay in the 1950s. The Latin name, Perisoreus canadensis, still includes a reference
to Canada. The French name, Mésangeai du Canada, also retains the reference to
Canada.
It
has several other common names including Camp Robber and Whiskey Jack. The
former name is because of its habit of stealing food from camps in the bush. It
has learned that humans can be good source of food. The French field guide, Les Oiseaux du Québec et des Maritimes,
shows all birds in habitat. The Gray Jay is shown on a picnic table beside a
sandwich. They are easy to find on a trip to Algonquin Park in winter. Instead
of flying away from visitors, they will fly towards them in the hope of a
handout of a peanut or a raisin.
The
colourful name, Whiskey Jack, has nothing to do with the alcoholic beverage. It
is a mispronunciation by Europeans of the Wiskedjak, Wisagatcak, Wisekejack, or
other variations of a word used in the Algonquian family of aboriginal
languages of eastern Canada to designate a mischievous, transforming spirit who
liked to play tricks on people.
The
Gray Jay is a bird of the boreal forest and occurs in all provinces and
territories. It does not normally occur in southern Ontario or the southern
prairies. Most of its range is within Canada, although it does extend into
Alaska and the mountains of the western U.S.
It
is a non-migratory species. Gray Jays stay in the northern forests year round
and begin to nest while there is still snow on the ground. They are able to
survive the winters because they cache food in the fall. That it, they hide
food behind flaps of bark or in bark crevices throughout their territories. The
amazing thing is that they remember where they have hidden this food, so that
they can retrieve it when they need it. They can nest early because this cached
food provides food for their nestlings.
Although
Gray Jays are non-migratory, a few sometimes irrupt south of their usual range.
These may be young birds looking for their own territories. There have been a
few records of Gray Jay for Northumberland County – 23 since 1900. Most of
these records date from the earlier part of the twentieth century when this
species irrupted on a more regular basis. Prior to European settlement, when
the county had more forest, it may have nested here, but no one was paying
attention or thought it important to record its presence.
The
Gray Jays in Algonquin Park have been studied since the mid-1970s, first by Dan Strickland and currently by Dr. Ryan Norris. This population has experienced a
50% decline over this forty year period. The cause of this decline is thought
to be climate change. Warmer winter temperatures cause the cached food to spoil
so that it may not be available at critical times for the birds.
I
will admit that I voted for Gray Jay as our national bird. I hope that
Parliament will act on the recommendations of the Royal Canadian Geographical
Society so that Canada has an official national bird for the Canada 150
celebrations.
More
information about the Gray Jay, including a range map, can be found at http://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/birds/gray-jay.html
