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A photo of a Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)
Canada Jay

Canada Jay

Perisoreus canadensis

The Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis), also known as the gray jay, grey jay, camp robber, or whisky jack, is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae. It is found in boreal forests of North America north to the tree line, and in the Rocky Mountains subalpine zone south to New Mexico and Arizona. A fairly large songbird, the Canada jay has pale grey underparts, darker grey upperparts, and a grey-white head with a darker grey nape. It is one of three members of the genus Perisoreus, a genus more closely related to the magpie genus Cyanopica than to other birds known as jays. The Canada jay itself has nine recognized subspecies. Canada jays live year-round on permanent territories in coniferous forests, surviving in winter months on food cached throughout their territory in warmer periods. The birds form monogamous mating pairs, with pairs accompanied on their territories by a third juvenile from the previous season. Canada jays adapt to human activity in their territories and are known to approach humans for food, inspiring a list of colloquial names including "lumberjack", "camp robber", and "venison-hawk". The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the Canada jay a least-concern species; however, populations in southern ranges may be affected adversely by global warming. The species is associated with mythological figures of several First Nations cultures, including Wisakedjak, a benevolent figure whose name was anglicized to Whiskyjack. In 2016, an online poll and expert panel conducted by Canadian Geographic magazine selected the Canada jay as the national bird of Canada, although the designation is not formally recognized.
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Canada Jays on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Paul Pedersen
Paul Pedersen
Saturday 13 May 2023 - 2:28pm
United States
A map showing the sighting location
🦅
Marc and Virginia Maltby
Friday 12 May 2023 - 2:12am
United States
A map showing the sighting location
🦉
Christina D
Tuesday 09 May 2023 - 12:00pm
Canada
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Caitlyn Oliver Brown
Caitlyn Oliver Brown
Saturday 18 Mar 2023 - 10:59pm
United States
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