Clark's
Nutcracker
Latin Name:
Nucifraga Columbiana
Clark's Nutcracker appears to be a sort of
combination of woodpecker and crow. Like a woodpecker, this
species has a long, stout, pointed bill that it uses to open pine
seeds, its favorite food. Like a crow, this bird is noisy,
gregarious, bold, and intelligently wary of man. Nutcrackers often
walk like crows and are sometimes seen pilfering food scraps at
tourist overlooks in the high mountain parks of the West. Commonly
found near timberline along the crests of higher mountains, these
birds are often seen in small groups perched on bare snags,
breaking the silence with their harsh, grating calls. Nutcrackers
are residents of the mountains; occasionally, in fall and winter,
small bands or individuals move away from the breeding grounds to
the lowlands or lower mountains, where they may sometimes remain
until the following summer.
Description
12-13" (30.5-33cm). Clark's
Nutcracker is a stout, ash-gray bird about the size and shape of a
Common Flicker. The glossy black wings show a large white patch in
the secondaries; the tail is white with black central feathers.
The forehead, throat, and undertail coverts are white. The bill is
long, heavy, pointed, and black; the eyes and legs are also black.
Young birds are browner and duller with brownish-tipped wing
coverts.
Voice
A harsh, loud, throaty
kra-a-a.
Similar
Species
Gray Jay, Northern Mockingbird, and
shrikes have similar coloration, but are smaller, longer-tailed,
shorter-billed. Pinyon Jay very similar in shape, but smaller and
essentially all blue.
Range
Mountains of southern Canada and
western United States (central British Columbia, western Colorado,
and northern Baja California). Occasional invasions during
nonbreeding season to lower mountains and lowlands beyond breeding
range, into central Alaska, Pacific Coast to southern California,
western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi River valley.
Marshall
Cultural Atlas
