CANADA JAY 9 



Behainor. — The most striking and characteristic traits of the Canada 

 jay are its tameness or boldness, one could almost call it stupidity, and 

 its thieving propensities. Its tameness often makes it an interesting and 

 a welcome companion in the lonesome woods, but its boldness, coupled 

 with its thieving habits, has caused many travelers to regard it as a 

 nuisance. Manly Hardy expressed it very well when he wrote to Major 

 Bendire (1895): 



They are the boldest of all our birds, except the Chickadee (Pariis airicapiUiis) , 

 and in cool impudence far surpass all others. They will enter tents, and often 

 alight on the bow of a canoe where the paddle at every stroke comes within 18 

 inches of them. I know of nothing which can be eaten that they will not take, and 

 I had one steal all my candles, pulling them out endwise one by one from a piece 

 of birch bark they were rolled in, and another pecked a large hole in a cake 

 of castile soap. A duck which I had picked and laid down for a few minutes 

 had the entire breast eaten out by one or more of these birds. I have seen one 

 alight in the middle of my canoe and peck away at the carcass of a beaver I 

 had skinned. They often spoil deer saddles by pecking into them near the 

 kidneys. They do great damage to the trappers by stealing the bait from traps 

 set for martens and minks and by eating trapped game; they will spoil a marten 

 in a short time. They will sit quietly and see you build a log trap and bait it. 

 and then, almost before your back is turned, you hear their hateful "ca-ca-ca" 

 as they glide down and peer into it. 



Curiosity is another characteristic trait of this jay. One can hardly 

 ever enter the woods where these birds are living without seeing one or 

 more of them; the slightest noise arouses their curiosit}', and they fly up 

 to scrutinize the stranger at short range, often within a few feet, and 

 they will then follow him to see what he will do. The sound of an ax 

 always attracts them, for it suggests making camp, which means food 

 for them ; and the smoke of a campiire is sure to bring them. 



William Palmer (1890) relates the following case of unusual curiosity, 

 or stupidity : "After spending the day on one of the Mingan Islands, 

 which is very densely wooded, we started to drag our dory down to the 

 water, necessarily making considerable noise. While doing so, and 

 glancing towards the v/oods, I observed a jay perched upon the top of 

 the nearest tree, evidently interested in our proceedings. I immediately 

 shot him, and the report had hardly died away when another jay took 

 his place. He, too, followed the first, when instantly another flew to 

 the very same tree, only, however, to meet the same fate." This is in 

 marked contrast to the behavior of these birds when they have young 

 with them ; for v/h.enever I shot one of a family party the others imme- 

 diately vanished. 



The flight of the Canada jay is easy and graceful but not vigorous 

 or prolonged. It seldom indulges in long flights in the open. It floats 

 lightly from tree to tree on its broad wings, making very little noise 



