Canada jays at Algonquin: winter breeding phenom is underway

Get out your binoculars, cameras, smart phones and pack a baggie full of bread, cheese and raisins. The fascinating world of the winter Canada Jay breeding season is underway at Algonquin Park. And if you’re lucky (as most Canada Jan fans are), these delightfully social birds will feed right off your hand.

“Canada Jays are a fascinating bird,” says retired Algonquin Park naturalist Dan Strickland.  “They are very confiding and quickly learn that people can be a source of food and so they come to people, rather than the other way around. They are often tame and will land on your hands.”

“This visitor to Algonquin Park is delighted to have a wild Canada Jay calmly land on her video camera. Canada Jays in Algonquin are the subject of one of the world’s longest running field studies, part of which involves giving each bird a unique combination of coloured leg bands. These permit it to be individually recognized, even from a distance, as it goes about its business on its large year-round territory in patches of boreal forest.” CREDIT: Gord Belyea

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Memories are made of this…

The sun is shining, the gentle breeze is cutting the heat, and the soft waves are colliding against the shoreline behind you.  This is it, the perfect spot to start a new beginning, a perfect spot to get married.  Many people seek out the amazing backdrops of Ontario Parks to create unforgettable memories built upon laughter and smiles with family and friends while experiencing nature through camping, hiking, swimming, etc.  So, why not have that perfect backdrop for one of the most important days of your life?

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