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The Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), is a large passerine bird, in the family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than its Eurasian relative Spotted Nutcracker (N. caryocatactes). It is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers (the outer ones are white). The bill, legs and feet are also black.

It occurs in western North America from British Columbia and western Alberta in the north to Baja California and western New MexicoNew Mexico is a state in the southwestern United States and its U. postal abbreviation is NM . The state's two official languages are English and Spanish. Nuevo Mexico was the Spanish name for the territory north and west of the Rio Grande. USS New Mexico in the south. There is also a small isolated population on the peak of Cerro Potosí (3,700 m) in Nuevo LeónESTADO DE NUEVO LEON Other Mexican States Capital Monterrey Other major cities Area64,924 km² Ranked 13th Population(2000 census)3,826,240 Ranked 9th Governor(2003-09)Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras ( PRI/ PVEM) Federal Deputies (11) PRI/ PVEM 10 PAN 1 Fede, northeast MexicoThis article is about the country Mexico. For other meanings, see Mexico (disambiguation The United Mexican States or Mexico ( Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico regarding the use of the variant spelling Mejico see section The name below) is a co. It is mainly found in mountains at altitudes of 900-3900 m in pine forest. Outside the breeding season, it may wander extensively to lower altitudes and also further east as far as IllinoisIllinois is a state in the United States named after the Illiniwek Indian tribe, which used to live there. The capital of Illinois is Springfield and the U. postal abbreviation for the state is IL . Illinois is pronounced ill-len-NOY, or jokingly, ill-len (and exceptionally, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania (the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of four states of the United States of America that is called a commonwealth. It has given its name to the Pennsylvanian time period in geology. Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State. Although Swed), particularly following any cone crop failure in its normal areas.

The most important food resources for this species are the seeds of PineThis article deals with the tree; for the e-mail client see Pine email client About 115. Pines are coniferous trees of the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authors accept anything from 105 to 125s (Pinus sp.), principally the two cold-climate (high altitude) species of white pineThere are three main subgenera of Pinus the subgenus Strobus White pines or soft pines), the subgenus Ducampopinus ( Pinyon, Bristlecone and Lacebark pines), and the subgenus Pinus Typical pines or yellow or hard pines). This classification into the three (Pinus subgenus Strobus) with large seeds P. albicaulisThe Whitebark Pine Pinus albicaulis family Pinaceae) is a species of pine tree that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and th and P. flexilis, but also using other high-altitude species like P. balfouriana, P. longaeva and P. monticola. During eruptions to lower altitudes, it also extensively uses the seeds of pinyon pines. The isolated Cerro Potosí population is strongly associated with the local endemic Potosí Pinyon Pinus culminicola.

Surplus Pine seed is stored, usually in the ground for later consumption, in numerous caches of 5-10 seeds each spread over a wide area (up to 20 × 20 km). The birds regularly store more than their actual needs (up to 100,000 seeds per bird!) as an insurance against seed theft by other animals ( squirrels, etc.); this surplus seed is able to germinate and grow into new trees, thus the bird is perpetuating its own habitat. Closely tied in with this storage behaviour is the bird's remarkable long-term spatial memory; they are able to relocate caches of seeds unerringly, even six months later, and when the cache sites are buried under up to a metre (3 feet) of snow.

The food also includes a wide range of insect prey, berries and other fruits, small mammals and occasionally flesh from carcasses. Eggs and nestlings are of course also taken and peanuts and suet have become a favorite at bird tables. Food is taken both on the ground and in trees (where it is very agile among the branches) where cones are held between one or both feet and hacked open with the strong bill. Rotten logs are hacked into for large beetle grubs and animal dung is flipped over in search of insects.

Nesting is usually in pines or other conifers, not always on the sunny side and always very early in the season. Wind protection seems to be of more value for nest placement. There are normally 3 eggs laid, rarely more or less than this. Incubation is usually 16-18 days and usually fledged by around the 22nd day. The young follow their parents around for several months after fledging, in order to learn the complex seed storage behaviour.

The voice is extremely varied and many sounds are made but the most frequent is usually described as khaaa-khaaa-khaaa or khraa-khraa-khraa, usually in a series of three.

This bird is named after the explorer William Clark.