Clark's Nutcracker

Overview

Clark's Nutcracker: Medium, noisy and inquisitive jay with pale gray head and body. Black bill is long and stout. Wings are black with white patches and tail is black with white edges. Feeds on nuts, insects, eggs and young of other birds, lizards, carrion and small mammals. Steady deep wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Clark's Nutcracker: Resident in southern British Columbia and Alberta south California and Colorado; prefers stands of junipers and ponderosa pines on high mountain ranges near the tree line.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Clark’s Nutcracker has a special pouch under its tongue in which it carries pine seeds long distances to cache them. Depending upon the species of pine seed, this pouch will hold from 28 and 90 seeds.
This bird was first observed in 1805 by William Clark (Lewis and Clark expedition) and bears his name.
Unusual among members of the crow family, males of this species help the females incubate the eggs. In fact the males have brood pouches just like the females. Nestlings are fed pine seeds from the parents’ caches. This allows the adults to breed as early as January or February despite the harsh winter weather in their range.
A group of nutcrackers has many collective nouns, including a "ballet", "booby", "jar", and "suite" of nutcrackers.

The Common Black-Hawk is a bird of prey, and is related to eagles, hawks and vultures. Breeding grounds of the species are located throughout the Americas, including the southwestern United States, Central America, Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles. The Common Black-Hawk is a coastal bird and typically a resident all year long, though some migratory populations exist. These populations fly south to northwestern Mexico and Arizona in the winter months. They prefer to breed and nest in mangrove swamps with adjacent dry, open woodlands. Their diet consists of crab, eggs and small vertebrates. The current conservation rating of the Common Black-Hawk is Least Concern.