The South Marysburgh Mirror Natural South Marysburgh On Becoming a National Bird There have been fewer than a half dozen Canada Jays ever sighted in Prince Edward County, and most of them at Prince Edward Point—perhaps caught up in flocks of migrating Blue Jays. They just don’t make it this far south. They are residents of the far north where their survival hinges on their ability to cache food. There is no reason for them to wander. Dan Strickland and David Bird want to see our country’s Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis), be- come Canada’s official national bird. It’s time, they both agree. Strickland—the retired Chief Park Naturalist of Algonquin Pro- vincial Park, located in northern Ontario—was a key figure in the development of Canada’s oldest provincial park. However, he still found time in his long career to R conduct thirty-five years of studies on one of the park’s most beloved residents, the Canada Jay. In those studies, he found troubling evi- dence that the population of Cana- da Jays in the park were struggling. The prime reason appears to be “fridge failure,” when climatic conditions of the fall dam- ages their caches of perishable foods. David Bird, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University, says that over a hundred of the world’s 195 coun- tries each have an official bird. For example, the U.S. takes a lot of pride in their National Bird—the Bald Eagle. Canada does have several national symbols though: the beaver, the maple tree, and two sports. It even has a national horse, he says, but no official bird. While the Canada Jay was proclaimed a winner of a contest run by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society four years ago, and despite the fact that many Canadians al- ready regard it as the national bird, the federal government has failed to take that final necessary step to ratify the decla- ration in Parliament. “Canada needs a national bird,” Professor Bird asserts in his bid to see one chosen to become Canada’s national bird. Both Dan Strickland and David Bird explain their rationale: “One in five Canadians spends at least a third of his or her year watching, feeding, and/or photographing birds, which results in big bucks for our economy! Birds also eat pests, pollinate our plants and crops, and disperse seeds. Their eggs THE THE Nationa Birp oF CANADA? and meat (yes, chickens are birds!) feed us and their feathers keep us warm. Birds save human lives by globally warning us of environmental health hazards, such as carcinogenic pesticides and industrial by-products. As for their intrinsic value, how many great writers, artists, film makers, and even aviators and astronauts have been inspired by the beauty, the song, and the flight of these amazing unique creatures?” But why are we fixated on just the Canada Jay? The two re- searchers agree, in unison, “As a National Bird for Canada, one could not find a more Canadian bird than the aptly named Can- ada Jay.” After all, this very smart member of the crow family breeds in every province and territory and its range almost mirrors our country’s borders. It’s very friendly, often landing on an outstretched palm, and it’s extremely hardy, often incubating eggs at minus twenty degrees Centigrade. It resides year- round in our country and is found in all provinces! Its French name is le mésangeai du Canada and its popu- lar name, whiskyjack, is derived from one of the larg- est indigenous language groups in Canada. Canada Jays have played a prominent role in both indigenous culture and our country’s history. A promotional book, “The Canada Jay as Canada’s National Bird?” has been created and made available to adopt a National Bird for Canada, which hopefully will take it one step closer to making that bird the Canada Jay! And consider: the Latin name for the Canada Jay is Perisoreus canadensis. You can’t get more Canadian = than that, eh? Terry Sprague is a County field naturalist who lives on Big Island. His website on nature in the county can be found at www.naturestuff.net and he can be reached at tsprague@xplornet.com Terry and Christie—