The Steller′s Jay is closely related to the Blue Jay found in eastern North America and both are members of the Crow family. The Steller′s Jay is native to North America and the mountains of Central America

The Steller′s Jay is named after the German naturalist Georg Wihelm Steller, who record this species in 1741.

Steller′s jays are omnivores which a diet of about two-thirds plant matter and one-third animal matter. Their diet includes a wide range of seeds, nuts, berries and other fruit, with acorns and conifer seeds that staple diet. Too, they may eat types of invertebrates, small rodents, eggs, and nestlings. Some have been known to eat small reptiles both snakes and lizards.

Steller′s jays will visit feeders and prefer black-oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, shelled raw peanuts and will even consume suet in the winter.

Dark blue with blackish or brown head, foreparts. Streaks on eyebrow, chin.

Chest vary regionally from blue to white and is often absent.

Steller′s Jay shows a great deal of regional variation throughout its range,

and have developed into at least thirteen sub-species. Blackish-brown

headed birds in the north reaches of its range gradually become bluer-headed

farther south.

Seen in small flocks in mountain and coastal conifers, pine-oak woods

in southwest. Feeds on mast. Bold

Although Steller′s jay primarily lives in coniferous forest, it can be found

in other types of forests as well. Further, these jays can be found from

low to moderate elevation and sometimes to as high as the tree line.

These jays have become common in areas surrounding their forests,

including residential and agricultural areas.

Seen year round in the western part of the continent from west Texas,

across to California and then northward through all the western states

and British Columbia to Alaska. Also found southward through the western

Mexican mountainous region with small pockets in the eastern

Mexican mountains, and then southeast into central America as far

southward as northern Nicaragua.

Awake, dress in my spring blues, step out of the jammer and walk to the men′s room to splash water on my face and hands. Then, I return to the campsite and climb back into the jammer and begin my journal entry.

From somewhere in the forest, I hear the song of a Steller′s jay and look outside to see if I can spot him and immediately, one flies down to the ground, then two more all making a ruckus about something. I grab my camera and soon more come but they move quite fast for any good photos so I put out some rolled oats on the table and before long, there is a flock competing for the orts.

Arise this morning, grab my towel and soap bag and walk to the shower house for another shower. Then, I head back to the jammer and begin pounding keys until a ranger stops by to check my park pass and Id. I ask him is I can stay in this space another night but he says that is reserved and then he drives to his next stop while I grab my cup of liquid from last nights Repast and find it to still be a little warm.

Later, the jays come back to where I have moved, this time about ten or twelve. I have noticed that you can tell this bird is in the crow family by it′s face.

At about four in the afternoon, I leave east out of town and drive about ten miles on Silver Falls road to the Silver Lake state park where I check in and set up camp. Once I have the jammer plugged in and the batteries charging, I grab my shower bag, towel and clean clothes and head for the house where showers are had.