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Q. I have recently come to the Okanagan Valley from Ontario, where it was common to see Blue Jays in our yard. Why am I not seeing them here?
A.The Blue Jay you see in Ontario is the an eastern relative of the Steller's Jay; the latter being the Bird of British Columbia, and is mainly found west of the Rocky Mountains, but does find a home in southern Alberta. On the rare occasion Blue Jays find their way across the mountains, and for a number of years one haunted the Maude Roxby Marsh in Kelowna [Abbott and Frances Street].
Both male and female Steller's Jay are alike. They are approx. 30 cm long with black foreparts and deep blue wings, tail and belly. The bird sports a large crest and a long powerful bill. They can be very noisy and are often in small groups calling to one another in the conifer trees, where they are feeding on seeds. If a predator gets too close to their nest, they will mob the intruder to try and drive it off. Being a member of the "Corvidae" family of birds [Ravens, Crows, Magpies, Clark's Nutcracker etc] it is said Steller's Jay can mimic a Redtail Hawk, Saw Whet Owl and even a Common Loon. I can't claim I have heard one imitate any other type of bird. This family of birds has the unfortunate distinction of being carriers of the West Nile Virus. If you discover a dead bird you are encouraged not to touch it, and to notify the local Public Health Authority.
Another member of this intelligent family of birds is the Gray Jay [ or Canada Jay, Whiskey Jack or Camp Robber]. It is an all gray bird with a dark patch over the back of its neck, and it inhabits primarily the Boreal forest year round. I have seen this bird, perch on the edge of a hot fry pan over an open fire, and boldly fly off with a piece of bacon, which it will likely hide under the bark of a tree until it needs it on a cold winter day! They, too, can mimic other birds.
So keep you eyes open for this colourful, sometimes noisy and always interesting family of birds that you may find in your yard, any time of the year.
Pat Westheuser - Director
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club
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