Spotted Nutcracker

Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus, 1758)

2014-03-02 Novosibirsk	© Natalia Vorobyova

Biology

Common, in places rare, resident. Inhabits mountain cedar and spruce forests at altitudes 1700-2700 m in Tien Shan and 900-2200 m in Altai. During non-breeding seasons wanders quite widely and occurs in the deciduous forest, groves and gardens and exceptionally in the clay deserts with scattered bushes. Breeding in separate pairs. Nest is built in a tree (spruce, cedar, larch) at height 1-8 m above the ground; nest is from the dry twigs, lichen and willow bast and is lined with dry grass, plant fluff and some hair and feathers. Clutch of 3-4, rare up to 7, eggs is laid probably in end April – May. Both parents incubate clutch for about 20 days and feed juveniles, which fledge in mid – end June. Most of the year stays singly or in loose groups. In case of crop failure of cones of coniferous species which are the main food to Nutcrackers, the birds of subspecies macrorhynchos wanders wide to west and south in mid September - October, but such behaviour was not recorded for birds of subspecies rothschildi.

References