Clark’s Nutcracker

Nucifraga columbiana

Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) belongs to the Corvidae family of crows, jays and magpies. This species was named after the explorer William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame.

Characteristics

This bird is like a crow – but it has a grey body and a long pointed black beak. The wings and tail are black with white on the trailing edges. It is similar at first to the grey jay which is smaller and has a black “hood” while the Clark’s nutcracker has no hood. Look for a greyish body and head, big beak and black wings with a bit of white. They are 27-30 cm in length and often between 106-161 grams in weight. The males are only slightly larger than females…

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