Appearance
The gray jay is slightly larger than a robin; it is gray above and white below with a black strip over the neck and the eye. Young jays are completely gray and start moulting in July; adults moult in May and June.
Range & Habitat
They are found from east Alaska, across Canada, and into the northwest US.
Diet & Behaviour
Gray jays feed on meat, fruit, insects and vegetables (they are omnivorous) and love campsites with easy access to food. They use their saliva to stick food into balls that they hide in the forest. Grey jays have many different vocalizations, from cheeps and chucks, to scolds and chatters.
Lifecycle & Threats
They mate for life, and lay three to five green-grey eggs in nests built of twigs, bark, feathers and fur.
Falcons, hawks and owls eat the jays, and small mammals eat the eggs and nestlings.
Status
COSEWIC: Not at Risk
CDC: Yellow
More Information
Photo: Kevin76
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