These fearless "camp robbers" will steal your lunch if they get the chance. Their boreal distributions is closely associated with Black Spruce (Picea mariana). This is one of the darker subspecies. Note the all dark crown and white forehead. Most other races have the crown white. A 2012 molecular study (van Els et al.) found the species composed of four reciprocally monophyletic groups reflecting divergence during glacial periods. Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LX5 | Nikon FS 3 | 30XWA | hand-held, no
adapter.
References:
Marzluff, J. (2017). Grey Jay (Perisoreus canadensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/60732 on 20 July 2017).
Strickland, Dan and Henri R. Ouellet. (2011). Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis), The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America: https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/gryjay
van Els, P., Cicero, C. & Klicka, J. (2012). High latitudes and high genetic diversity: Phylogeography of a widespread boreal bird, the gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63: 456–465.