Listen to the northern nutcracker
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the northern nutcracker
The northern nutcracker is a bird in the family Corvidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 58 cm.
What does the northern nutcracker sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The northern nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), previously known as the spotted nutcracker and Eurasian nutcracker, is a passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than the Eurasian jay but has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly chocolate brown with distinct white spots and patches. The wings and upper tail are black with a greenish-blue gloss.
The northern nutcracker is one of four species of nutcracker currently accepted. The southern nutcracker (Nucifraga hemispila) and the Kashmir nutcracker (Nucifraga multipunctata) were formerly considered as subspecies of the northern nutcracker. The species complex was known by the English name "spotted nutcracker". The fourth and most distinct member of the genus, Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), occurs in western North America.
Related birds in the genus Nucifraga
More from the family Corvidae
Common raven
Corvus corax
Eurasian magpie
Pica pica
Eurasian jay
Garrulus glandarius
Western jackdaw
Coloeus monedula
Rook
Corvus frugilegus
Hooded crow
Corvus cornix
Carrion crow
Corvus corone
Blue jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Alpine chough
Pyrrhocorax graculus
Red-billed chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
House crow
Corvus splendens
Frequently asked questions
What does a northern nutcracker sound like?
You can hear 4 recordings of the northern nutcracker on this page, including its call. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the northern nutcracker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the northern nutcracker as “least concern”.
What family does the northern nutcracker belong to?
The northern nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) belongs to the family Corvidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · Stromiš, Volovské Mountains, Rožňava, Košický kraj, Slovakia by Alexander Kürthy – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Lipová-lázně, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech… by Zdeněk Vermouzek – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Světlá pod Ještědem, Liberec, Liberecký kraj, Czech Republic by Jan Cibulka – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Cogne, Valle d'Aosta, Valle d'Aosta, Italy by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q184820 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Northern nutcracker – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Jyrki Salmi from Finland – CC BY-SA 2.0