The Canada Jay, formerly called Gray Jay or 'Whiskey Jack,' is a friendly, bold corvid of the boreal forest famous for approaching humans at campsites to steal food. It caches thousands of food items in tree bark using saliva-formed boluses that freeze in winter — a unique food-preservation strategy. It nests in late winter on snow-covered ground, with young hatching in March.
Best time to see a Canada Jay
The best time to see a Canada Jay is May–September, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 11,556 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Canada Jay? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Canada Jay sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spotted a Canada Jay?
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