Photo: Cephas / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Canada Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) — Crows, Jays & Magpies of North America.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) is a member of the Corvidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 71.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Corvidae Crows, Jays
- Genus Perisoreus
- Species canadensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 71.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Corvidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Canada Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Canada Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) is a member of the Corvidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA n.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 71.6 g, with a wing length of about 15 cm and a tail of around 13.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Canada Jay?
The Canada Jay is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 71.6 g.
Where does the Canada Jay live?
The Canada Jay is found across North America with a range covering NA n, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Canada Jay belong to?
The Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) belongs to the Corvidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Canada Jay eat?
The Canada Jay is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Canada Jay migrate?
The Canada Jay is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Canada Jay endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Canada Jay make?
1 real field recording of the Canada Jay — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Canada Jay's range?
The Canada Jay has a mapped global range of about 7.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Feeders for Jays & Larger Garden Birds
How to choose a feeder for jays and other big, bold garden birds — the styles that suit peanuts and larger food, and how to keep them from crowding your small-bird feeders. A decision framework with the species in the Birbs encyclopedia.