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Gray Jay

Status Uncommon resident. Breeds. Fairly common in coniferous woodlands of the interior, decidedly uncommon along the North Mountain range bordering the Bay of Fundy and practically absent in the Annapolis Valley. Fairly common throughout Cape Breton Island but only where evergreen forests are dominant. Although sedentary in its habits and usually seen in pairs (or family groups particularly during May and June), it does on rare occasions gather into flocks that wander aimlessly about the countryside, showing up in places where it has not been seen in years. In September and October small flocks often appear from the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border, around the Bay of Fundy to Yarmouth. In 1982 there was a particularly large influx of jays at Cape Sable Island and down the entire South Shore during October.

Description Length: 28-33 cm. Adults: Plumage soft neutral gray, loose and fluffy; crown brownish gray; forehead, throat and face white; tail medium gray, slightly tipped with lighter gray. Immatures: Plain sooty gray, darkest on head, paler toward tail; tip of tail brownish white.

Breeding Nest: A compact, bulky, well-built structure of twigs, beard lichen and many beakfuls of decayed wood, thickly lined with hair and feathers. It is placed 1-4 m up in firs or spruces in open woods. Eggs: 2-4, usually 3; white, distinctly or obscurely spotted with light olive-brown over entire surface. Nest construction takes place leisurely during March and laying begins in early April. I examined many nests, and found Ruffed Grouse feathers used for nest lining far more often than any others. Rotten wood is invariably used in nest construction, presumably as insulation.

When their nests are endangered, most bird species show anxiety and anger through behaviours ranging from mild scolding to overt acts of hostility, such as displayed by Goshawks. In so doing they tell the world their nest is nearby. The canny jays take a different approach. An incubating jay will sometimes sit and allow a human intruder to stroke its back while its mate, which may be perched close by, will not emit a sound or show the slightest concern. The jays have probably learned through the millennia that such behaviour is the best way to avoid nest detection.

Range Breeds from Alaska to northern Labrador and Newfoundland, north to the limit of trees and south to Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, northern Michigan and northern California. Winters mainly in its breeding range, occasionally wandering somewhat south of it.

Remarks None of our wild birds is more bold or impudent than the Gray Jay. It will commonly enter a camp to steal food when the owner's back is turned, and the trapper despises it because it steals the bait from his traps. However, its confiding and trustful nature and friendliness, even if gastronomically inspired, has endeared it to all who enjoy the outdoors and the wildlife they find there.