the grey jay recently beat out the common loon, the canada goose and the snowy owl to be named canada’s first national bird by the royal canadian geographic society.
it is also known as a whisky jack, a name derived from the algonquin translation for the bird, “the mischievous prankster,” so given for the way the bird will sneak up on people and peck for food out of their bags and pockets.
as a member of the corvid family, the grey jay is a highly intelligent animal. in fact, its brain to body ratio is similar to that of a dolphin and chimp.
it’s also a tough bird, choosing not to migrate but to endure the harsh canadian winter. the grey jay stores cashes of food throughout the forest, which it’s able to find thanks to their great memory. they coat food with sticky saliva then stash it under bark on trees or tufts of lichen, kept fresh by the cold but safely above the snow.
found coast to coast throughout canada’s boreal forest, the grey jay is mostly seen when venturing out into the wilderness. and given its friendly nature, it will almost certainly approach if you just hold out your hand with some food in it.
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