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[[Image:Spotted_Nutcracker.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|pavlik|pavlik}} <br> Location: Saratov region.[[Russia]]]]
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[[Image:Spotted_Nutcracker.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by Birdshome]]
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'''Alternative name: Spotted Nutcracker'''
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;[[:Category:Nucifraga|Nucifraga]] caryocatactes
==Identification==
==Identification==
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Photographed in Austria.
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32 - 34cm. A distinctive, medium-sized corvid:
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==Bird Song==
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* Dark brown plumage with white spots and streaks, most densely on side of head
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* Plain dark brown rump and uppertail-coverts
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* White undertail-coverts and lower belly
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* Glossy black upperwing
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* Glossy black tail with white feather tips
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* Dark brown eye
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* Black bill and legs
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The subspecies differ in density and size of white spots and size of the bill.<br />
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Sexes similar, jufeniles have dull brown wings and a broad white tip on the median coverts.
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==Distribution==
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[[Scandinavia]] right across northern [[Europe]], mountains of central [[Europe]], [[Siberia]] and to eastern [[Asia]], including [[Japan]] and the [[Himalayas]].<br />
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Locally common.
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==Taxonomy==
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Eight subspecies accepted, more have been proposed:
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* ''N. c. caryocatactes'' in [[Europe]]
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* ''N. c. macrorhynchos'' in [[Siberia]], [[Mongolia]], [[Korea]] and northern [[China]]
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* ''N. c. japonica'' in northern [[Japan]]
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* ''N. c. rothschildi'' from [[Kazakhstan]] to [[Kyrgyzstan]] and northwest [[China]]
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* ''N. c. hemispila'' in the [[Himalayas]] from northeast [[Pakistan]] to [[India]] and [[Nepal]]
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* ''N. c. macella'' in the eastern [[Himalayas]] from [[Nepal]] to [[Bhutan]], northeast [[India]] and to south and central [[China]]
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* ''N. c. interdicta'' in east [[China]]
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* ''N. c. owstoni'' on [[Taiwan]]
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[[Large-spotted Nutcracker]] was formerly inclued in this species. The subspecies ''hemispila'' is sometimes considered to belong to Large-spotted Nutcracker too.
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==Habitat==
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Taiga conifer forests and mixed conifer and birch forest. Occurs from lowlands up to 4000m in [[Nepal]].
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==Behaviour==
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The diet includes the nuts and seeds from pine trees, spruce and hazel trees. It also takes insects, birds' eggs and nestlings, digging out bumble bee and wasp nests to take the grubs.<br />
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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.<br />
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Usually seen in pairs or family parties and has little fear of humans.<br />
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The nest is usually built high in a conifer. 2-4 eggs are laid and incubated for 18 days. Both sexes feed the young which are usually fledged by about 23 days. <br />
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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.
''[[Media:Nucifraga caryocatactes (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
''[[Media:Nucifraga caryocatactes (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thDec08}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}
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{{ref}}
==External Links==
==External Links==
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*[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?si=Nucifraga+caryocatactes&perpage=12&sort=1&cat=all&ppuser=&friendemail=email@yourfriend.com&password=&x=17&y=8 View more images of Spotted Nutcracker in the gallery]
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
The subspecies differ in density and size of white spots and size of the bill.
Sexes similar, jufeniles have dull brown wings and a broad white tip on the median coverts.
Large-spotted Nutcracker was formerly inclued in this species. The subspecies hemispila is sometimes considered to belong to Large-spotted Nutcracker too.
Habitat
Taiga conifer forests and mixed conifer and birch forest. Occurs from lowlands up to 4000m in Nepal.
Behaviour
The diet includes the nuts and seeds from pine trees, spruce and hazel trees. It also takes insects, birds' eggs and nestlings, digging out bumble bee and wasp nests to take the 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.
Usually seen in pairs or family parties and has little fear of humans.
The nest is usually built high in a conifer. 2-4 eggs are laid and incubated for 18 days. Both sexes feed the young which are usually fledged by about 23 days.
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.
Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
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
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