Episode Information

Often called the Camp Robber or Whiskey Jack, the mountain-dwelling Gray Jay will crash a picnic faster than hungry ants. The robber escapes with edible tidbits and caches them in trees with its sticky saliva, reclaiming its stored food in the cold, snowy winter.  The nickname “Whiskey Jack” comes from the Athabaskan Tlingit name for this species, wiss-ka-tjon. White settlers pronounced it “Whiskey John,” then shortened “John” to “Jack.” Learn more at Cornell's AllAboutBirds.