Canada Jay
Credit: Larry Bond

North American field guide

Canada Jay

Perisoreus canadensis

Also known as:Gray Jay, Whisky Jack

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Identification

Field notes

28-33 cm (11-13") Locally Common. A tame, mostly quiet, boreal forest bird that may visit campsites to snatch up food scraps.

A fluffy long tailed gray jay with no crest and a tiny bill. White forehead, black through eye and behind head. Gray upperparts, pale underside. White throat and cheeks. Looks like a giant chickadee.

Juvenile: all sooty-black with a faint white whisker line.

Also known as the Canada Jay or Whisky Jack.

Song: scolds, screams, and whistles.

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Gray Jay

1 rule
Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 5
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?
Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States
result:906-gray-jay:1:1 Source: 906 Gray Jay, row 1

Gray Jay (Immature)

1 rule
Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 4
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
No · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?
Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States