Gray Jay nominated as Canada's National Bird

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