From Opus

Photo by pavlik
Saratov region.Russia, November 2008

Alternative name: Spotted Nutcracker

Nucifraga caryocatactes

[edit] Identification

32 - 34cm. A distinctive, medium-sized corvid:

• Dark brown plumage with white spots and streaks, most densely on side of head
• Plain dark brown rump and uppertail-coverts
• White undertail-coverts and lower belly
• Glossy black upperwing
• Glossy black tail with white feather tips
• Dark brown eye
• Black bill and legs

Subspecies owstoni
Photo by Dave 2x
Dasyueshan, Taiwan, March 2013

The subspecies differ in density and size of white spots and size of the bill.
Sexes similar, juveniles have dull brown wings and a broad white tip on the median coverts.

[edit] Distribution

Scandinavia right across northern Europe, mountains of central Europe, Siberia and to eastern Asia, including Japan and the Himalayas.
Locally common.

[edit] Taxonomy

Large-spotted Nutcracker was formerly inclued in this species. The subspecies hemispila is sometimes considered to belong to Large-spotted Nutcracker too.

[edit] Subspecies

Eight subspecies accepted, more have been proposed^[1]:

• N. c. caryocatactes in Europe
• N. c. macrorhynchos in Siberia, Mongolia, Korea and northern China
• N. c. japonica in northern Japan
• N. c. rothschildi from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan and northwest China
• N. c. hemispila in the Himalayas from northeast Pakistan to India and Nepal
• N. c. macella in the eastern Himalayas from Nepal to Bhutan, northeast India and to south and central China
• N. c. interdicta in east China
• N. c. owstoni on Taiwan

Subspecies yunnanensis is not recognised by all authorities^[3].

[edit] Habitat

Taiga conifer forests and mixed conifer and birch forest. Occurs from lowlands up to 4000m in Nepal.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs or family parties and has little fear of humans.

Most populations are resident but in some years big movements have been recorded and birds from Siberia (macrorhynchos) are known to reach Europe in certain winters.

[edit] Diet

They eat seeds from pine and spruce trees as well as hazel nuts. Their diet also includes birds eggs,nestlings and insects including bee and wasp grubs.

Stores large quantities of nuts in his winter territory. Caches them often at the base of a tree, behind moss on rocks, crevices in a tree bark or simply on the ground near a rock or a small sapling. As it forgets some of it this bird plays an important role in the dispersal of several tree species.

[edit] Breeding

The nest is usually built at or near the top of a conifer. They lay 2-4 eggs which are incubated for 18 days. Both adults feed the young which are usually fledged by about 23 days.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
3. Avibase
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links