Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Grey jay

Grey jay

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/July 2, 2017 by - Dank (push to talk) 23:23, 12 June 2017 (UTC)



The grey jay (Perisoreus canadensis), also Canada jay, is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae. It is found in boreal forests of North America north to the tree line, and in the Rocky Mountains subalpine zone south to New Mexico and Arizona. Grey jays live year-round on permanent territories in coniferous forests, surviving in winter months on food cached throughout their territory in warmer periods. The birds form monogamous mating pairs, with pairs accompanied on their territories by a third juvenile from the previous season. Grey jays adapt to human activity in their territories and are known to approach humans for food, inspiring a list of colloquial names including "lumberjack", "camp robber", and "venison-hawk". The birds form monogamous mating pairs, with pairs accompanied on their territories by a third juvenile from the previous season. Grey jays adapt to human activity in their territories and are known to approach humans for food, inspiring a list of colloquial names including "lumberjack", "camp robber", and "venison-hawk". The species is associated with mythological figures of several First Nations cultures, including Wisakedjak, a benevolent figure whose name was anglicized to Whiskyjack. In 2016, an online poll and expert panel conducted by Canadian Geographic magazine selected the grey jay as the national bird of Canada, although the designation is not formally recognized.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Mangrove swallow
 * Main editors:
 * Promoted: 13 February 2017
 * Reasons for nomination: July 1 is the 150th anniversary of Canada's Confederation. There are few FAs not yet on the main page related to Canada, notably this and the Halifax Explosion, which is having its centennial later this year. This article is about a species that's been named "Canada's national bird", and additionally has a place in Canada's indigenous cultures including the Wisakedjak, so it seems quite suitable for this milestone Canada Day.

It appears that 27 Wikipedias have articles on the grey jay.

While Casliber has had various main page articles, this is the first FAC Ivanvector has to their name, according to their user page. -- Zanimum (talk) 11:59, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Support as nominator. Zanimum (talk) 11:59, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Support as co-editor. Just to clarify a couple things: the Grey jay has been named "Canada's national bird" only informally by a well-known Canadian magazine, though the bird also ranked highly in a public opinion poll considered in the magazine's selection. Canada has no official "national bird" designation (as of yet). Also, Wisakedjak is a character in several indigenous peoples' mythologies, not an indigenous culture itself. I do think it fitting to feature some Canadian topics around the country's sesquicentennial, and as Zanimum notes the Halifax Explosion has its own centennial late this year. Ivanvector (Talk/Edits) 12:42, 27 April 2017 (UTC)


 * Comment: Is there nothing Canadian but a bird? - We just had one, another - date-related - is in the pending list for 18 June, another is nominated just above, - readers will not get the Canadian connection, I'm afraid, - just see many birds. A good topic, no doubt about that. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:26, 9 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I think the point is that there are few featured articles on Canadian topics which have not already been TFAs, but I don't have a way to check that. As for your edits to the nom, "gray jay" is just an English variation, but "whisky jack" is fairly important for the connection to the indigenous cultures of what is now Canada. Ivanvector (Talk/Edits) 00:13, 10 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Feel free to restore whisky (but not bold, - I just thought four names is two too many, and thought we want Canada), only don't expect people to understand it's indigenous cultures without a link or explanation, - they will think drink. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:27, 10 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I see what you're saying. The connection is explained in the second-to-last sentence, although this section repeats the name so perhaps having it right at the top is not necessary. Not that I'm knocking whisky drinks. Ivanvector (Talk/Edits) 17:22, 11 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Per Ivan's comment, the only FAs not TFAs related to Canada seem to be the Halifax Explosion and grey jays. (There may be other animal and plant species, but none screams Canada.) Otherwise, any Canadian FA has already appeared as a TFA, so far as I can tell. I welcome others looking through the list, to see if I missed anything, though. --  Zanimum (talk) 15:48, 11 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Support as co-editor. The only thing I would raise is I really love the photo of the bird perched on someone's head (See File:GrayJayonHead.jpg), which I think'd make a great mainpage pic Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 11:09, 19 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support Excellent article, but I disagree strongly User:Casliber about the photo of the jay on a guy's head. That photo is okay for being the article, but it's technically not a great photo, the focus is the guy--not the bird, and the bird is out of focus. The photo in the infobox is a much better representation of the bird, which is what the article is about, not some guy.  Pumpkin Sky   talk  11:27, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Awww, spoilsport ;) Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 11:28, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Next year you can use bird-on-head photo for some April Fool's DYK or ITN. You've got 9 months to come up with an ITN or DYK item. Women can make a baby in that time so you can come up with this ;-)  Pumpkin Sky   talk  14:13, 28 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Comment. I'm thinking of rerunning Canada for the 150th anniversary of Confederation. The article looks fine at a glance, and I don't see any objections so far on the talk page there. Any objections to scooting Grey jay down a week or two? - Dank (push to talk) 13:26, 9 June 2017 (UTC)
 * Sounds fine to me. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 02:33, 10 June 2017 (UTC)
 * Support for that option --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:01, 10 June 2017 (UTC)


 * Heh, thanks for the support but I've changed my mind, the date connection feels important. I'm switching this to July 2 UTC (which will of course arrive on the evening of July 1 in Canada). I'm keeping Canada on July 1. (I'll be back soon to finish up.) - Dank (push to talk) 15:37, 12 June 2017 (UTC)