Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) resting on a branch at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ont.
© Ron Erwin/Alamy Stock Photo
Fearless and venturesome
Found in every province and territory, the gray jay is a member of the corvid family. Despite the extreme winters here, this bird can be found year-round across mountain and boreal forests. They are capable of nesting as early as February, amidst frigid temperatures and snowstorms. Since gray jays rarely migrate to lower elevations and tend to stay put in one place, they do not face the challenges of annual migrations. Thus, this omnivorous bird tends to have a long lifespan for a small bird.
Spring peeper (Hyla crucifer) perched on a black-eyed Susan in a flower garden in Ontario
A male yellow-bellied slider
Moose snacking on water lilies in Millinocket, Maine
Burchell's zebra mother and foal in Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Barn owl sitting on a branch
Snowy owl at Jones Beach, Long Island, New York
Salisbury Cathedral with grazing flock of sheep, England
Southern rockhopper penguins on the Falkland Islands
