high up in the mountains lives a bird
that is the smartest on the planet on
this episode we take a look at the
whisky Jack call the Canada Jay gray Jay
or whisky Jack this bird is found in
boreal forests of North America most
predominantly in Canada but also in the
Rocky Mountains all the way down to New
Mexico color different shades of gray
the gray Jay lives year-round to the
cold Canadian winters by stashing food
throughout their territory known as the
smartest bird out there they're able to
adapt to their environment much like us
humans they've learned the body postures
and poses of humans that are
non-threatening and offering food
instead simply by placing pumpkin or
sunflower seeds on your hand and
extending it like this will signal to
the whisky Jack that food is there for
them they still may be cautious but will
eventually swoop down land in your hand
and begin feeding
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their trust of humans has resulted in
new names such as lumberjack camp robber
and venison Hawk this species is
thriving in the wild and has adapted
well to living among humans and has
rated least concerned species within the
IUCN Red List that said the southern
populations may decline as the globe
warms up being associated with
mythological figures from the First
Nations cultures this bird was first
described in 1760 they live almost
exclusively within the Canadian border
don't migrate and were chosen by the
National Geographic Society of Canada as
Canada's national bird despite it
getting beaten out in votes by the Loon
and snowy owl the panel chose it because
it stays within the Canadian borders is
tough being able to endure harsh
Canadian winters and is the smartest
bird on the planet having a wingspan of
18 inches or 46 centimetres the gray jay
has thick plumage which provides
necessary installation in the winter
they live up to eight years old but the
oldest found was 17 they form monogamous
mating pairs which both contribute in
building their nest eggs are laid during
the warm season but they may also lay
their eggs during the winter both
parents help with feeding the newborn
nestlings just primarily in the form of
arthropods after 55 days the juvenile
gray Jays reach adulthood which point
they will battle to become the most
dominant juvenile this juvenile will
remain with the parents until the
following season where the other gray
Jays will go off and pair with other
unrelated Jays often ones that have
failed to breathe these omnivorous bird
eat as mentioned earlier arthropods as
well as in fib Ian's like Western coarse
frog long toad salamander and engorged
winter ticks off the back of a moose
fungi chokecherry and seeds are their
primary sources of plant foods this
scatter hoarder will catch thousands of
food items around their environment
during the abundant summer months to eat
during the winter they chew up their
food and form it into a bolus a sticky
ball of dinner and saliva the saliva is
very sticky and adheres to the surfaces
they stash it like in bark crevices
under tough stuff like in and among
conifer needles these stashed items will
be recalled by memory when there
in the winter when stashing food the
most vulnerable items will be placed
furthest from their territory to protect
the rest of the stash northern hawk owls
Mexican spotted owls great gray out and
the American Martin all prey on this
bird with ski jacks will whistle screech
or make other noises to alert other
whiskey jacks of predators nearby you
encounter a whiskey jacket and intend to
feed them keep in mind their sharp
talons are razor sharp and loud noises
or any sort of commotion when feeding
them can cause a nasty cut on the finger
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the
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would you like to feed a whiskey jack in
nature share your thoughts hopefully
enjoy this episode and until the next
one have a good one