Good question. I'll have to ask one of my consultants. Perhaps they
come around the camp and steal bits of meat?

Gene.

On Wed, 27 Sep 1995, Burton Guttman wrote:

>
> Dennis Paulson said,
>
> > I wonder if Gray (or other) Jays store fat or if they just readily eat it
> > to keep their furnace stoked during the winter.
>
> That makes me wonder about their diet. Russell says the Steller's Jays
> near Bill Tweit's house were hoarding chestnuts [are all the chestnuts
> around here so-called horse chestnuts or are there some "real"
> chestnuts?], which may be rich in oils, which may be deposited in fatty
> tissue. But let's remember that fats are made largely from
> carbohydrates; we all get fat from eating too many pastries and candies
> and the like without enough exercise. So do these birds especially go
> for foods rich in oils or foods rich in carbohydrates . . . or is there a
> difference between Gray and Steller's?
>
> Maybe a question for Gene Hunn is, Do the birds get the name "fat lover"
> because they store fat or because they eat fat? I should think because
> they eat fat, no? And did the natives of this area know that seeds have
> fat in them? If not, what would they see Gray Jays eat that's fatty?
>
> Burt Guttman guttmanb at elwha.evergreen.edu
> The Evergreen State College Voice: 360-866-6000, x. 6755
> Olympia, WA 98505 FAX: 360-866-6794
>
>
>