Spotted Nutcracker Facts | Switzerland Wildlife Guide

The spotted nutcracker is a member of the corvid family along with crows and magpies. Nutcrackers form long-lasting monogamous pairs in the winter months with intense courtship rituals during breeding season. These behaviors include rapid flights with high-speed swoops and dives. Both members of the pair help build the nest and help incubate the eggs.

Nutcrackers feed on the seeds of the cembra pine, extracting the cones with their long, sharp beaks. They then keep the nuts under their tongue and throat pouch until they are ready to store them. In autumn, they will store the nuts in numerous hiding places but still manage to find about 80% of them. They play a major role in the ecosystem as seed dispersers, as unconsumed nuts often grow into new trees.

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