Everything about Nutcracker Bird totally explained
The
nutcrackers (
Nucifraga) are a
genus of two
species of
passerine bird, in the family
Corvidae, related to the
jays and
crows. One, the
Spotted Nutcracker (
Nucifraga caryocatactes), occurs in
Europe and
Asia, the other,
Clark's Nutcracker (
Nucifraga columbiana), in western
North America.
The most important food resources for both these species are the seeds (
pine nuts) of various
Pines (
Pinus sp.), principally the cold-climate (far northern or high altitude) species of
white pine (
Pinus subgenus
Strobus) with large seeds:
P. albicaulis, P. armandii, P. cembra, P. flexilis, P. koraiensis, P. parviflora, P. peuce, P. pumila, P. sibirica and
P. wallichiana, and also the
pinyon and
lacebark pines in subgenus
Ducampopinus. In some regions, where none of these pines occur, the seeds of
Spruce (
Picea sp.) and
Hazel nuts (
Corylus sp.) form an important part of the diet too. The bills of these birds are specialized tools for extracting seeds from pine cones.
Surplus seed is always stored for later use, and it's this species that's responsible for the re-establishment of their favoured pines over large areas either burnt in
forest fires or cleared by man.
Various
insects are also taken, including
bee and
wasp larvae, and also birds' eggs and nestlings, and carrion if it's found.
Nesting is always early in this genus, so as to make the best use of pine nuts stored the previous autumn. The nest is usually built high in a conifer. There are normally 2-4 eggs laid and incubated for 18 days. Both sexes feed the young which are usually fledged by about 23 days and stay with their parents for many months, following them to learn food storage techniques.
Neither species is
migratory, but that'll irrupt out of their ranges if a cone crop failure causes a food shortage.
Further Information
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