The gray jay will now be known as the Canada jay, and that is music to the ears of North Saanich ornithologist David Bird. It is not a re-naming, he says, but a rightful restoration.
A group of scientists including himself and Dan Strickland proposed this restoration in December 2017, and it was recently accepted by the American Ornithological SocietyB次元官网网址檚 (AOS) North American Classification Committee.
Bird (the ornithologist) credits Strickland with the research that led to the name restoration. Strickland, who is currently studying Canada jays on Mt. Washington, found evidence that the American Ornithological Society made an error when changing the common name of the Perisoreus canadensis to the Gray Jay in 1957. In particular, the American spelling B次元官网网址渟tuck in DanB次元官网网址檚 craw a great deal.B次元官网网址�
In short, there are several subspecies of Perisoreus canadensis, and between 1886 and 1910, the AOS used the B次元官网网址淐anada jayB次元官网网址� name for all of them. They changed the naming rules between 1910-57 to use only this name for one particular subspecies. When the naming rules reverted back to one overall common name for all the subspecies, the AOS used the name of a different subspecies, the gray jay, for all these birds, instead of using the old B次元官网网址淐anada jay.B次元官网网址�
With its rightful name restored, Bird is working hard to make it a national symbol, in part because the bird reminds him of Canadians.
B次元官网网址淭hey are extremely friendly birds, and inquisitive,B次元官网网址� said Bird. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檒l land on your head or your hand or your camera lens without even being enticed by food.B次元官网网址�
They are found all across Canada, he said, and are also extremely hardy, sitting on their eggs in temperatures as low as minus 30.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got friendly, youB次元官网网址檝e got hardy, youB次元官网网址檝e got intelligent, so youB次元官网网址檝e got three things I think best describe the typical Canadian.B次元官网网址�
The Canada jay, though, has some competition if Canada were to declare a national bird. Canadian Geographic launched a contest in January 2015 to B次元官网网址渇oment discussion among Canadians about what would be the best bird for Canada,B次元官网网址� said Bird, and the common loon got the most votes; the Canada jay placed third. However, after discussing with various experts, Canadian Geographic picked the Canada jay.
Unlike the common loon which heads south for the winter, Canada jays stay year round. He also likes that it has significance to many Indigenous cultures. Canada jays are also known as whisky jacks, which has nothing to do with the drink, but is instead a soundalike of Wisakedjak, a figure for Cree, Algonquin and other First Nations.
And besides, said Bird, the common loon is already OntarioB次元官网网址檚 provincial bird. If one provinceB次元官网网址檚 bird was elevated to national bird, other provinces B次元官网网址渨ould be screaming bloody blue murder.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭o avoid that sitation, why not pick something fresh and new?B次元官网网址� asked Bird, comparing it to the maple leaf flag, which was not an existing provincial flag.
The federal government has said it is not considering any more animal symbols (we already have the beaver and Canadian horse), but BirdB次元官网网址檚 colleagues are trying to get meetings with the federal government anyway because 2018 is the Year of the Bird, and there is a major ornithologistsB次元官网网址� meeting in Vancouver this August. The timing, said Bird, would be excellent.
The bird lives in the boreal forest and can be found in national and provincial parks, but not often in peopleB次元官网网址檚 backyards. Bird says they are worth the hike.
B次元官网网址淚 would rather pick this bird thatB次元官网网址檚 going to force Canadians to get off their couches and go into the boreal forest, visit our parks, and meet this bird, and I guarantee it will meet you in a friendly way.B次元官网网址�
reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com
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