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Clark's Nutcracker

Nucifraga columbiana

Photo by Christine Y.
Published on Project Noah
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42.9415, -122.11

Field Notes

Description:

Clark’s Nutcrackers are the size of a jay but the shape of a crow, with short tails and rounded, crestless heads. The bill is long, straight, and sharp-tipped. Clark’s Nutcrackers are pale gray birds with black wings. In flight, the wings show large white patches along the trailing edges. The tail is black in the center with broad white along either side. Nutcrackers have black bills, legs, and feet.

Habitat:

I saw this one at Crater Lake in Oregon. Clark’s Nutcrackers are birds of the mountains. They are closely associated with pines that produce large seeds, such as whitebark pine and limber pine, but are also found in other montane evergreen forests from about 3,000 to more than 11,000 feet in the West.

Notes:

Thanks to Malcolm Wilton-Jones, Gordon Dietzman, and Jeff Dreier for the ID confirmation!

Reference Links:

Clark's Nutcracker, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Species ID Suggestions

Clark's nutcracker

Nucifraga columbiana

Reference Link
Jeff Dreier
5

Comments (10)
DavidElwonger
I have Clark's Nutcrackers on my property. they have newly fledged young coming to my feeders now - little guys have hardly any tails and have blue eyes. I am a bird bander, and I am studying Clark's Nutcracker and Steller's Jays (among other things)
Christine Y.
Good observation DavidElwonger! I hadn't noticed that it's cheek was puffed out until you mentioned it. I wonder if that's the reason? I saw this one at Crater Lake in Oregon, where there were tons of squirrels, which people were feeding. I wonder if the birds were getting fed as well...
DavidElwonger
Are the Clarks nutcracker cheats puffed out because it is carrying seeds? I know that Clark's Nutcrackers can carry over a dozen seeds in a pouch in their throat which they then hide to use later.
Gordon Dietzman
I'd agree that this is a Clark's Nutcracker. Cool bird....
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/id You are correct, it is a Clark's Nutcracker, the white sides to the tail are enough to clinch it. The blue patch on my book is misleading as it is rarely visible at all.
Christine Y.
Thanks! Malcolm, good idea - I have several pictures that are unedited of this bird and will sift thru them and post some more.
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
I am not familiar with these birds but you could well be right. The general shape and pattern look good. Like Magpies the blue can be difficult to see at times, but you could try lightening the original to see if the blue starts to show, that would clinch it.

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PublishedJune 6, 2013

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