Order PASSERIFORMES | Family CORVIDAE |
Nucifraga caryocatactes Linnaeus, 1758 Spotted Nutcracker Races:
Common, in places rare, resident. Inhabits mountain cedar and spruce forest at 1700-2700 m in Tien Shan and 900-2200 m in Altai. During non-breeding movement deciduous forest, groves, and gardens and exceptionally, clay desert with scattered bushes are also visited. Breeding in separate pairs. Nest is built in a tree (spruce, cedar, larch) 1-8 m off ground from dry twigs, lichen and willow bast lined with dry grass, vegetation fluff and some hair and feathers. Clutches of 3-4, rarely up to 7, eggs probably laid end April – May. Both parents incubate for 20 days and feed juveniles, which fledge mid – end June. Most of the year encountered singly or in loose groups. When cones are in short supply, macrorhynchos wanders widely to west and south, mid September - October, but such behaviour not recorded for rothschildi.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
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No Synonyms
Description
Races
Breeding in southwest Altai. Wanderers recorded on Ural valley in 1956, where 5 October - 1 November 30 birds recorded, and in October 1963, when 5-10 birds observed at one day; no spring movement observed, in Naurzum Reserve, on Aksuat lake, and even in Kurgaldzhino Reserve 11 and 25 September 1971, two birds. Three lean birds obtained at influence of Temir in Emba river 6 September 1963. It noted at once on Ustyurt 8 October 1954. On Syrdarya valley near Chiili one obtained, from 5 birds, 23 December 1909.
References