Brown Nutcracker
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For more information about native corvids, see this post.
Brown
Nutcracker, Nucifraga
fuscus L 32-34 cm, WS 46-48 cm, Family: Corvidae
IUCN Conservation
Status: Least Concern
(LC)
Description:
Jay-sized,
but more similar to a crow in shape, with a stocky build, round head, and large
bill. Chocolate brown overall, with white undertail coverts and black wings and
tail with white edging. Wings may appear iridescent blue in some lights, and
white in wings and tail especially obvious during flight. Bill is long, straight,
and sharply pointed. Dark eyes outlined by broken eyering. No sexual dimorphism.
Voice:
Like
other corvids, vocalizations are extremely varied, though often sounding
metallic or hoarse. No true song, but common calls are harsh, nasal caws
and kraahs. They will croak and rattle when courting mates, as well as
make musical whispers and babbling. Quite vocal, they will call often and their
voices can carry for extremely far distances, often aided by the terrain.
Range and Habitat:
Found
in all three major mountain chains and throughout Novasola’s western conifer
forests. Morning Mountain population disconnected from western population,
though some individuals have been observed along the northern coast between
ranges or in the Francis Islands. Brown Nutcrackers prefer pine forests and are
especially associated with Novasola’s two mountainous pines: Island White Pine
and Paramount Pine. Uncommonly seen in areas without large pine stands, though
they will use other conifer forests like those of firs and spruce. More common
at high altitudes but will travel to lower altitudes during harsh winters.
Discussion:
Flying
from the tops of one pine to another, and calling often, Brown Nutcrackers are
conspicuous and distinct birds emblematic of Novasola’s mountains and
high-altitude forests. Though they can be found as low as sea level,
nutcrackers are most common at elevations between 3,000 and 12,000 feet. They
prefer conifer forests, especially pine stands, though they may also be seen in
northern towns or villages with many planted evergreens.
Like
other nutcrackers, Brown Nutcrackers use their sharp beaks to pry open pine cones
and retrieve seeds and crack open the shells of nuts and seeds. A huge portion
of their diet consists of pine nuts or seeds. During the summer and fall they
will bury seeds in caches in various locations throughout their territory,
which they dig up during the winter. They have special pouches in their throats
to store seeds, and they may fly up to twenty miles to deposit those seeds. Nutcrackers
have an exceptional memory, and they can remember the location of food caches nearly
a year later. They don’t recover all their caches, however, and forgotten nutcracker
caches are responsible for spreading pine seeds to such an extent that it is
thought that Brown Nutcrackers and Novaola’s two mountain pine species have
coevolved a mutualistic relationship. The Paramount Pine and the Island White
Pine are both endemic pine species found throughout Novasola’s mountain ranges
and western forests upon which the Brown Nutcracker is extremely reliant.
Nutcrackers favor these two species for food so much that in some areas over 90
percent of their diet may include only the seeds of these two trees, especially
during winter. One Brown Nutcracker may be responsible for burying tens of
thousands of pine seeds in caches each year. Forgotten caches will eventually
sprout, and it is thought that nearly all Paramount Pines on Novasola alive
today grew from nutcracker-planted seeds, while perhaps half of all Island
White Pines did so. In this way, Brown Nutcrackers are ecosystem engineers responsible
for spreading these pines across the landscape, which in turn provide food for
the nutcrackers. Researchers believe neither the nutcrackers nor the pines
could exist today in significant numbers without the other. A similar phenomenon is observed in Feasting Pigeons, where a massive quantity of deciduous trees owe their spread to flocks of foraging pigeons. Brown Nutcrackers occasionally
will supplement their diets, however, with invertebrates, carrion, eggs, and
small mammals.
Hearty
birds, Brown Nutcrackers remain in their territories year-round and can
withstand extreme winter cold. Early breeders, they will build nests in January
or February. Nutcrackers are monogamous and will pair with mates for life. Males
do most of the incubating, which is uncommon for corvids, and both parents will
feed and raise chicks once they hatch. Juveniles are usually fully independent
by August, though nutcrackers remain in small flocks for most of the year and
juveniles likely remain with their parents for a year or two. Except when incubating
and caching food, nutcrackers are almost always found in small flocks of
between four to ten individuals. They may also be found in mixed flocks with
other species, including jays, thrushes, and even marmots. Brown Nuthatches are
frequent communicators, calling to the other members of the group often.
Brown
Nutcrackers are easily observed in mountainous parks, where they frequent most
visitor centers, scenic overlooks, trails, and campgrounds. As a result, they
often appear far more numerous than their actual global population. However,
they are still somewhat common and have suffered less dramatic population
declines than many other Novasolan endemics. This is likely due in part to
their habitat preferences, as alpine forests have mostly been saved from severe
logging. Nutcracker population numbers are mostly affected by the amount of
pine seeds available on the landscape, and as such fluctuate dramatically from
year to year.
Brown
Nutcrackers, sometimes called Brown Crows, have fascinated birders for
generations and are heavily associated with Novasola’s alpine regions. Richard
Reichwald was captivated by Brown Nutcrackers, which he observed often during
the second and third NRC expeditions, and he became the first person to perform
basic experiments on their memory and intelligence by recording in detail their
caching behavior and ability to relocate them during the winter.
“The
country here has an altogether different character from the forests behind us.
The cedars and hemlocks have given way to firs and pines, many stunted by the
harsher winds. The elevation is obvious in the vegetation and in the air, as
there is an ever-present and cold western wind. The ground is steep, and
pockets of snow dot the forest floor along with low heath and bare talus.
…
Our
party was soon greeted by a most distinct cawing. We had entered a small
clearing, across which were a number of tall pines. Atop the trees were at
least four dark birds, like crows. At first glance, the birds appeared
unremarkable, with dark brown plumage and white rumps. But I soon observed one
in flight, which displayed an extraordinary set of glossy blue wings and white
flashes. One of the group flew close; it had a particularly long and sharp
beak, which it used to extract the seeds of pine cones in the canopy.” – Expedition
log, June 29 1903
“Nutcrackers
abound! Our camp awoke this morning to a cacophony of crowing and cawing emanating
from all around us. By the time the sun had risen fully over the Mornings, I
could count nearly thirty Nutcrackers flitting about the ridge, swooping like
woodpeckers across the clearing, and some so bold as to land near our campfires
to sneak away with discarded food scraps. I watched as twice a bird flew to the
ground with a bulging throat. This bird then dug a small hole in the grass and regurgitated
a large pine nut into the hole before burying it and flying off.” – Expedition log,
July 6 1904
“There
are perhaps no birds of this country with a greater memory than the Nutcracker.
Since my first encounter with them, I have been unceasingly curious as to their
forage habits. I have seen numerous Nutcrackers bury seeds in the ground, and I
have witnessed other land in clearings only to immediately dig up seeds they
presumably buried themselves, though I have strived to understand this better. During
the year of 1910 I stayed in a cabin outside Vodograd which was visited by
Nutcrackers frequently. I spent many days watching the birds to find and record
the location of a cache. That next spring I was back at the cabin, and within a
week all the locations I recorded were visited by Nutcrackers who soon
retrieved last summer’s stores.
How
these birds manage to find with only their wits what man must dutifully record
with pen and paper, or other markings, is a testament to the wonders of nature.
Cartographers fail where these birds succeed, as if Nutcrackers have in
themselves maps of unimaginable detail.” – Native Birds of Novasola,
1912