Camp robber absconds with hiker's sandwich

[douglas9]

The Canada Jay, formerly known as the Gray Jay, also goes by the name Camp Robber. They have learned to hang out around humans in hopes of scavenging food items. Turn your back for a moment, and the rest of that sandwich might fly away from the picnic table.

Canada Jays are in the corvid group. Most corvid bodies are not very colorful, with variations of white, black and gray. They are social, aggressive and truly omnivorous, eating a wide variety of plants and animals with their large sturdy beaks. Corvids are also considered the most intelligent of birds with great memories and even the ability to mimic sounds. Other corvids that you may see in Teller County include Common Raven, American Crow, Black-billed Magpie, Steller’s Jay and Clark’s Nutcracker.

The previous name Gray Jay worked just fine for me, perfectly describing this bird. Their plump robin-sized body is indeed gray, and also note the white head with a contrasting black beak and dark gray nape area. In flight look for a narrow white tip on the tail. Note that juveniles lack the paler head.


https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/camp-robber-absconds-with-hikers-sandwich-words-on-birds/article_b6dd78d8-504b-11eb-9a54-3be671aff6d0.html

[KY_EnviroGuy]

1. Pretty bird with antifreeze in its blood.

I often marvel at how our birds survive the winter, even here in Kentucky's moderate weather.

Thanks, Douglas9.

KY

[3Hotdogs]

2. Downy Woodpeckers in Central Park steal food from park patrons.

Cookies out of kids' hands and such. If its in your hand and you're not focused on it, it's gone.

"Club George" is a book about one of the thieves. I doubt George is still alive but I saw one of his compatriots heist something out of the hand of a picnicker, north of the Ramble.

[Mister Ed]

3. Another nickname is the Whiskeyjack.

To explain the birds' friendliness, lumberjacks in the Great North Woods used to say that they were the reincarnations of old lumberjacks who had passed away.

Sometimes, when camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern Minnesota, my campmates and I have known them to eat from our hands. Just stand still, with a few bread crumbs in your outstretched palm, and they'll alight on your fingertips to dine.