Whiskey Jack is a colloquial or alternate name for the Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) but here on the BC coast, many of us know it as the Whiskey Jack. Often found in alpine meadows and amongst the surrounding trees, gray jays can be quite inquisitive characters and will often follow hikers hoping for the chance to beg or steal a morsel of food or the odd peanut or two. Their ‘real’ food however can range from insects to nuts and seeds as well as a bit of carrion given the chance such as eggs or chicks of other birds and if they are not hungry, like other jays they will hide or store their food to eat later. These birds can range across most of Canada apart from the far north.
