Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)
This iconic bird is in big trouble. Once very common in northern forests of North America, Canada Jay now is disappearing. The naturalist at the Sax Zim Bog (Northern Minnesota) talked about the future of Canada's national bird, Canada Jay, also called Grey Jay.
According to the naturalist and a recent study, fluctuating weather patterns caused by climate change are threatening Canada jays' food sources — and for future generations of Canada jays, this could spell disaster. Canada jays don’t migrate south for food and warmth during the colder winter months, but these birds rather store thousands of food items in caches during the summer and rely on these food sources to survive in Canada year-round.
While many animals with hoarding behaviors store non-perishable food for the winter, like nuts, Canada jays prefer a diet of meat, berries, and other perishables. They coat these items in a layer of saliva before "glueing" them to high-up of tree branches where they’re safe from heavy snowfall. Since winters in Canada typically are cold with below freezing temperatures, Canada jays use the natural environment as a freezer for perishable food. How clever!
As long as temperatures stay below freezing, this method of food caching is able to keep Canada jays fed throughout the winter months. If temperatures fluctuate above and below the freezing point, however, these cached food sources are more likely to spoil, and Canada jays will have less to eat, and the quality of their food is poor as a result. Also, according to the studies, a greater number of freeze-thaw cycles resulted in smaller, weaker offspring that were less likely to survive.
The Canada jay nests in late winter (right now), incubating its eggs in temperatures that may drop below minus 20°F. While the female alone incubates, the male brings food for her, so she can stay at the nest, protecting and keeping it warm. With spoiled food caches, the female has to leave the nest to find food and feed herself.
There were tiny patches of snow, if any, and temperature in Northern Minnesota was between 35-43 degrees of Fahrenheit (2-6 C) in the beginning of February 2024.
Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)
This iconic bird is in big trouble. Once very common in northern forests of North America, Canada Jay now is disappearing. The naturalist at the Sax Zim Bog (Northern Minnesota) talked about the future of Canada's national bird, Canada Jay, also called Grey Jay.
According to the naturalist and a recent study, fluctuating weather patterns caused by climate change are threatening Canada jays' food sources — and for future generations of Canada jays, this could spell disaster. Canada jays don’t migrate south for food and warmth during the colder winter months, but these birds rather store thousands of food items in caches during the summer and rely on these food sources to survive in Canada year-round.
While many animals with hoarding behaviors store non-perishable food for the winter, like nuts, Canada jays prefer a diet of meat, berries, and other perishables. They coat these items in a layer of saliva before "glueing" them to high-up of tree branches where they’re safe from heavy snowfall. Since winters in Canada typically are cold with below freezing temperatures, Canada jays use the natural environment as a freezer for perishable food. How clever!
As long as temperatures stay below freezing, this method of food caching is able to keep Canada jays fed throughout the winter months. If temperatures fluctuate above and below the freezing point, however, these cached food sources are more likely to spoil, and Canada jays will have less to eat, and the quality of their food is poor as a result. Also, according to the studies, a greater number of freeze-thaw cycles resulted in smaller, weaker offspring that were less likely to survive.
The Canada jay nests in late winter (right now), incubating its eggs in temperatures that may drop below minus 20°F. While the female alone incubates, the male brings food for her, so she can stay at the nest, protecting and keeping it warm. With spoiled food caches, the female has to leave the nest to find food and feed herself.
There were tiny patches of snow, if any, and temperature in Northern Minnesota was between 35-43 degrees of Fahrenheit (2-6 C) in the beginning of February 2024.