Janet Hardin writes,

>On 26 September 1995, Mike Smith wrote:
>
>>Steller's and Gray Jays: Gray Jays inhabit high elevation conifer
>>forests, Steller's Jays seem to be everywhere, though.
>
>Gray jays also occur in the Oregon Coast Range and on the outer Olympic
>Peninsula of Washington state. This surprised me when I first encountered
>"coastal" birds five years ago. They are sympatric with Steller's, but I
do
>not know what separates them ecologically (niches). Having spent many
hours
>in coastal forests, I can emphatically say that I prefer being quietly
>investigated by a family of grays than a mob of Steller's. Even biologists
>have personal prejudices when it comes to critters!
>
>-- Janet Hardin
> Port Townsend, WA
> wings at olympus.net

Off the top of my head: we often forget that differences in behavior means
differences in the way species exploit their environment. I can't directly
say what the food differences are, but the fact that one species feeds
solitarily or at noisy aggregations while the other feeds in quiet family
groups means they are using different mechanisms to search for food.

Species that feed in family groups are usually restricted to patches of
stable optimal habitat. Gray Jays are not widespread in what we may
perceive as suitable habitat, so in their case this may correlate quite
well. On the other hand, species such as the Steller's Jay by feeding in
temporary aggregations are able to take advantage of transitory, abundant
food sources. Experts?

--Jerry Tangren