Gray Jay

Description:

This bird is about 11.5 inches (29 cm) in length and is colored above in a pale gray with much white around the head and a black cap. It's sometimes described as looking like an over-sized chickadee.

Habitat:

Conifer forests.

Notes:

This is one of my favorite northern birds. They are also known as camp robbers as they are not above picking food out of the hands of unsuspecting campers, rummaging through cook gear, or hanging around cooking areas hoping for scraps. This is true even in wilderness areas where they rarely encounter people. Still, I find them personable companions on my wilderness trips and forgive them when they grab and make off with something that I intend to eat.