The big
birding news of the month has to be the new official Canadian bird: The Grey
Jay, Whiskey Jack, Canada Jay. I’m not saying I would have voted for the Grey
Jay, but let’s see if, when I’m done, you might find yourself thinking this
truly is a bird with a Canadian heart:
Grey
Jays are survivors and have been in Canada for thousands of years. The bird’s
name was derived from both the Cree and Algonquin languages: Wìsakedjàk in Algonquin
or Wīhsakecāhkw in Cree. They are part of the corvid family (Blue Jays, Crows
and Ravens), and they are one of the smartest birds on the planet. One sign of
their intelligence is their opportunistically friendly behaviour, for example if
you put food on your hand, especially cranberries, they will come down
immediately to take advantage of the situation. While some other popular
Canadian birds, looking at you Canadian Geese, abandon us for warmer weather,
the Grey Jay not only winters in Canada but can nest their eggs in -300C!
Add to all of this the fact that Grey Jays are found in every province and
territory and you’ve got yourself a truly Canadian bird.
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