camp thief n Cf camp robber n
= Canada jay n.
1907 Cordier WY Big Game 32, At every camping place as soon as we began to remove the packs and pitch our tents, the “camp thieves” would begin to congregate in the trees about us. . . They are about the size of a domestic pigeon, are of a pale blue color, with very dark eyes, possessing a voice very unmusical and of limited range. 1913 Lange Silver Island 96 nMI, “Why’re they called whisky-jacks, Dan?” “It’s a corruption from Chippewa, I guess. They have a bunch of other names like, moose bird, meat bird, camp thief and lumber-jack.” 1921 Forest Leaves 18.13 ME, Bird life in the Northern woods presents one, to me, most attractive species in the Canadian Jay, called also Moose Bird and Camp Thief and Whiskey Jack. 1955 MA Audubon 39.84, Canada Jay. . . Camp Thief (Maine. From its pilfering food about woodland camps.)