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Birds @ Wings
American Crow
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
Canada Goose
Common Loon
Golden Eagle
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Lewis' Woodpecker
Osprey
Pine Grosbeak
Red-tailed Hawk
Rufous Hummingbird
Steller's Jay
Swans
Warbling
Verio
Western Meadowlark
Wood Duck
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Steller's Jay
 Recognition
One of the most striking features of British Columbia's official bird, is
its crest and vibrant blue and black color. The Steller's
Jay SHAACK! SHAACK! cry is a familiar sound to visitors of British
Columbia's provincial and national parks.
However this great mimic can fool the most avid birder with its mixed bag
of voices that includes everything from hawk calls to warblings of other
song birds.
Haunts
The Steller's Jay is found throughout British Columbia's dense coniferous
forests During the summer months it seems especially bold and is often
seen around picnic sites and campgrounds. In winter it seeks out more
promising food sources in the mixed forests and backyard gardens.
Schedule
A year around resident, however, each fall there is a distinct movement
which brings considerable numbers of Steller's Jays down to valley
bottoms.
Field Notes
Steller's Jay is named after George Wilhelm Steller, a German naturalist
who made exploratory voyage in the north Pacific in the early 1700s.
However if the Steller's Jay had been named for its behavior it could have
easily been called the "Investment Bird", because of it habit of taking
food and storing it elsewhere for future use. And like any good investor
it doesn't put all its "cash" into one area. These perky jays certainly
provide us a great deal of pleasure in observing their antics and
listening to their bright chatter.
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