Canada Jay

The Canada Jay, formerly and still sometimes called the Gray Jay, is a soft-plumaged corvid of Canada's boreal forest and adjoining high-elevation and northern woodlands in the United States. It has pale gray underparts, darker gray upperparts, a whitish face and forehead, and a dark gray-black cap across the nape, with no crest or bright colors.

In 2018 the American Ornithological Society officially adopted 'Canada Jay' as the standard English name, both restoring an older historical name and reflecting the species' status as an unofficial national bird candidate for Canada, given its resident presence across nearly every Canadian province and territory.

Key Field Marks

• Soft, fluffy pale gray plumage overall
• Whitish forehead and face
• Dark gray-blackish patch across the nape and back of the crown
• No crest, no blue coloring
• Short, stout bill

Similar Species

• Clark's Nutcracker is larger with a longer, sharper bill and a bold black-and-white wing and tail pattern.
• Northern Shrike shows a black facial mask and hooked bill, unlike the plain-faced Canada Jay.

Habitat

Canada Jays inhabit boreal coniferous forest, especially spruce and fir stands, as well as subalpine forest at higher elevations in the southern portions of their range.

Range

Found across the boreal forest of essentially all of Canada and Alaska, extending south into the mountains of the western United States, the upper Great Lakes region, and northern New England.

Migration

This species is entirely non-migratory, remaining resident on the same territory throughout the year, including the harshest winter months.

Behavior

Canada Jays are famously tame and curious, often approaching hikers and campers closely, sometimes taking food directly from an outstretched hand. Throughout warmer months, they cache enormous amounts of food by sticking items to bark and branches with sticky saliva, a critical strategy for surviving the long boreal winter.

Voice

Calls include soft whistles, clicks, and chuckling notes, along with harsher scolding calls when alarmed; overall quieter and less harsh-voiced than many other jays.

Feeding

Diet is broad and includes insects, berries, fungi, carrion, small vertebrates, and food retrieved from caches established earlier in the year.

Nesting

Pairs nest unusually early, sometimes in late winter with snow still on the ground, building a dense, well-insulated stick nest in a conifer; both parents incubate the 2-5 pale gray, spotted eggs.