Canada Jay!

The Canada Jay was declared Canada's "official bird" by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society in 2016 following an online poll. It is slightly smaller than a Blue Jay, but larger than an American Robin. Opeongo Road in Algonquin Park is a location where this species can usually be found.

Even Canada Jay's need a drink of water once in awhile.

We were impressed by the number of Craisins this Canada Jay was able to grab in one visit! Check out that full beak! Also notice the coloured leg bands which help researches monitor breeding success and allow them to follow individuals throughout their lifetime.

https://www.ontarioparks.ca/parksblog/canada-jay-research/

A different Canada Jay found us on our second trip down Opeongo Road. The leg band colour combination differs from from the bird in the previous photo. This individual did a quick, 2 footed sideways hop along the railing of the bridge, in his quest to see if we had any food. The behaviour is characteristic of Crows and other Corvids.

And yes, we were prepared with food!

 

The Canada Jay stores large quantities of food for later use. It uses sticky saliva to glue small food items to tree branches above the height of the eventual snow line. It may be this food storage bahaviour that allows the jay to live so far north throughout the winter. Surprisingly, it nests during late winter, incubating its eggs in temperatures that may drop below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Jay/overview