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Photo by Kim and Cindy Risen / naturescapenews.com
Woodpecker Crow: Named for William Clark of Lewis and Clark expedition fame, Clark’s Nutcrackers are entertaining birds. Curious and friendly, they often take tidbits of food straight from the hands of tourists. Rare visitors to the Midwest, they call the montane forests of the western United States home.
Christmas Nutcracker visits North Dakota
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a nutcracker. It is a beautiful gray, black and white bird related to the Blue Jay and American Crow. Its dancing flight gladdens the heart of all who witness it, while its grating “shraaaaaa!” call brings a smile to all who hear. This magical 12 inch-long bird is the Johnny Appleseed of the mountain pine forest, bestowing the gift of food and shelter to people and hundreds of animals of the western United States and Canada.
For our purposes, Virginia, the story begins on August 22, 1805 when William Clark, co-leader of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition first described a bird he named the “woodpecker crow”, while exploring the Salmon River canyon in present-day Idaho. Science later renamed the bird “Clark’s Nutcracker” in his honor. Scientists, birders, and visitors to the western mountains have been entranced by the critter ever since.
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