Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Specy

Canada jay

Birds

The Canada jay, also known as the grey jay, gray jay, camp robber, moose bird, gorby or whisky jack, is a corvid of the boreal forests of North America, ranging from the Arctic tree line south through the Rocky Mountains into New Mexico and Arizona. It is a fairly large songbird with pale grey underparts, darker grey upperparts and a grey white head with a darker nape, placed in the genus Perisoreus, which is more closely related to the magpie genus Cyanopica than to other birds called jays, and nine subspecies are recognized. Jays hold permanent year round territories in coniferous forest, surviving winter on food cached earlier in the year, form monogamous pairs often joined by a young bird from the previous season, and readily take human food, earning the nickname camp robber. The species carries cultural significance for Indigenous peoples across North America, linked to the trickster figure Wisakedjak, and was chosen by an online Canadian Geographic poll in 2016 as Canada's unofficial national bird. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Diet
Omnivore 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 2
Threats
Climate Change and Severe Weather 3
Relationship to People
Ecotourism and Research 4
Living or Extinct
Yes 5
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 6
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Perisoreus canadensis 5
Conservation Status
Least Concern 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Perisoreus, Taxa
Source Canada jay (Wikidata)

In Biome

Boreal Forest, Biomes
Source Canada jay (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Source Canada jay (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
2. Canada jay (Wikipedia)
  • Introduction
    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".
  • In Biome: Boreal Forest, Wikipedia intro: "bber, moose bird, gorby, 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 Ecosystem: Canadian Boreal Forest, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 358377, target E266744
    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.
View the Source
3. Wikipedia: Canada jay
  • threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the Canada jay a least-concern species, but populations in southern ranges may be affected adversely by global warming.
  • Infobox: status
    LC
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Perisoreus canadensis (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
    A positive economic impact of gray jays is recreational and educational bird watching.
View the Source
5. Canada jay (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q80858 (P225 taxon name)
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
  • Child Taxon Of: Perisoreus, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q953996 (Perisoreus)
View the Source
6. NatureServe Explorer: Perisoreus canadensis
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.