Canada Jay: Whiskyjack

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

The Canada Jay is a bird of many evocative nicknames, including Camp Robber, Gorby, and Whiskyjack. The first two names refer to this bird’s exceptionally tame, bold behavior around humans. “Gorby” is thought to derive from the Scots-Irish word gorb, meaning “glutton.” Folklore told that a gorby was the soul of a dead woodsman, and that any harm done to a gorby rebounded upon the person who harmed the bird.

Clever, curious, and opportunistic, the Canada Jay is incredibly tame and very bold around humans. Some Canada Jays will even land on a person’s outstretched hand … if that outstretched hand is offering food! Among the many nicknames reflecting the Canada Jay’s charisma, one common nickname, “Whiskyjack,” is an anglicization of the Algonquin word Wisakedjak, the name of a benevolent trickster god and principal character in the creation myths of several First Nations cultures.

Canada Jays are as tough as they are clever. They have to be in order to survive year-round in boreal and subalpine forests, where temperatures plummet and most winter days are below freezing. Canada Jays are prepared for the cold: They cache food throughout the year, stashing it under tree bark or lichen. (Remarkably, they remember where they left it!) This challenging existence is now being exacerbated by the impacts of climate change on the Canada Jay’s habitat and range.

Also known as: Gray Jay, Wisakedjak (Algonquin, Cree), Whiskeyjack, Lumberjack, Moose Bird, Venison Hawk , Camp Robber, Gorby or Gorby Bird

Learn more about the Canada Jay at https://abcbirds.org/bird/canada-jay