Back to the home page  
Canada's Species   Birds

Gray Jay

Perisoreus canadensis

Gray Jay. Photo:Helen Sarakinos
Gray Jay. Photo:Helen Sarakinos

The gray jay is the blue jay's northerly cousin, inhabiting mainly spruce bogs of Canada's vast boreal forest. The gray jay is unusual among boreal birds, in that it is a year-round resident. Its trick to surviving the long winters is food storage; much of the summer is spent procuring food which is eventually used for winter survival. The gray jay rolls its food into sticky balls with saliva, and hides the balls in caches throughout its territory. The gray jay is also a very trusting bird. In the boreal forest, this species commonly visits winter campsites, and will often take food right out of your hand!

Map of Gray Jay in Canada
Distribution of Gray Jay in Canada

   
Back to the main Birds page  
   
Previous species: Clark's Nutcracker  
   
Next species: Black-billed Magpie