Heroes of the High Country
One of the year-round resident avian species on our place is the Clark’s Nutcracker. But even though we see a few of the birds in any given month, the majority stop by for groceries in late summer and early fall. The items they are shopping for are pine nuts from the limber pine trees.
With their large, sharp beaks, these members of the corvid family are perfectly suited to the task they do best. They are true athletes both in their powerful flight and in their ability to work the pine cones from any angle.
Nutcracker hanging upside down to access pine nuts.
Two types of conifers grow on our property, although neither one can be said to be prolific in this dry climate. If not for large slabs of sandstone consolidating and directing the small amount of rainfall to the roots of the trees that sit at the base of the rocks, the trees would not have sufficient moisture to survive.
Douglas fir trees produce cones that are smaller than those of the limber pine. The former are easily identified by the lacy protrusions, commonly known as mouse tails, layered among the scales of the cones. The cones of the limber pine, in contrast, are large and hefty, protecting the tasty seeds within that are so desired by a variety of birds and mammals. None do a better job of harvesting these treasures than Clark’s nutcrackers.
Douglas fir cone with “mouse tails”.
Limber pine cones contain fat and calorie rich nuts that are a favorite of the birds.
While other birds try to grab a seed or two to eat on the go, Nutcrackers have a sub-lingual pouch in which they store the nuts as they collect them. They can carry more than 100 nuts at a time and often look as if they have a deformed throat once they fill the internal pocket with their bounty.
A Clark’s nutcracker with its sub-lingual pouch full of pine nuts.
Once they have a full pouch, nutcrackers carry the nuts to places near and far and bury them a few at a time in the ground in shallow trenches they form with their bills. In this way they have a food source that will see them through the winter ahead as well as grub to feed their young which are born much earlier than most chicks at this latitude and elevation.
The miracle of their methods is that they not only have food set aside for when they need it but they also succeed in planting more pine trees for future generations. Despite the fact that they have incredible memories and can find seeds they have buried in hundreds of locations up to nine months after the burial, they tend to store more than they need and so some remain to grow into trees that will feed their offspring in many year’s time.
I find it hard to remember sometimes that Clark’s nutcrackers are, in fact, omnivores, and actually eat other things beside pine nuts. I observed the bird below in a tree last October, clutching a large spider in its beak. Clearly it was looking for a little variety in its menu!
Clark’s Nutcracker with a spider in its beak.
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