Animalia Life

Perisoreus canadensis
SUBFAMILY
Corvinae
TAXONOMY
Perisoreus canadensis Linnaeus, 1766, Canada. Eight subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Canada jay, whiskey-jack, venison-hawk; French: Mйsangeai du Canada; German: Meisenhдher; Spanish: Chara gris.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
9.75–10.92 in (25–28 cm); 2.17–2.5 oz (62–73 g). Upperparts, wings, and tail are dark gray; underparts are lighter gray. Head is pale gray with a black patch on crown and nape; throat is white. Subspecies vary most noticeable in the extent of the black head patch.
DISTRIBUTION
Conifer forests of Canada, Alaska, and northern and western United States.
HABITAT
Coniferous forests away from human habitation.
BEHAVIOR
Usually forages unobtrusively in pairs or family groups.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Invertebrates, small mammals, and birds. Also berries which are “glued” to trees for future consumption, using sticky saliva.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Solitary nester. Lays two to five eggs March through April in twig nest which is well insulated with mosses, lichens, fur, and feathers. Incubation 16–18 days; fledging about 15 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Locally common over a wide range.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Bold scavenging from humans has earned it the name “camp robber.”

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