\ 



1921 BIRDS OF MONTANA 97 



prolonged into late June, but there appears to be no regular second brood. An 

 example of a late nest is one containing five eggs on the Quaking Asp River, June 

 26, 1874 (Coues, 1874b, p. 606). 



190. Nucifraga columbiana (Wilson) 



Clark Nutcracker 



An abundant permanent resident of the mountains throughout the western 

 half of the state, ranging eastward to the easternmost mountain ranges. All 

 observers in the mountainous parts of the state report this species as conunon. 

 The normal eastward range is indicated by the following records : Belt ]\lountains 

 (Williams, 1882a, p. 62) ; Camp Baker (Grinnell, 1876, p. 647) ; Big Horn 

 Mountains (McChesney, 1879, p. 2389) ; and Fergus County (Silloway, 1908a, 

 p. 43). An exceptional instance, indicating the rare occurrence of this species in 

 the prairie region in winter, is afforded by Mr. C. F. Hedges, in the observation 

 of several of the birds in Miles City during the winter of 1919-20 and the capture 

 of. one specimen January 4, 1920. 



Unlike many permanent residents in the mountains, the Clark Nutcracker 

 shows no regular movements up and down the mountain slopes according to 

 season. It does move up and down more or less, but such movements are irregular 

 and evidently governed more by the abundance of its food supply. It feeds 

 largely in fall and winter on pine seeds, preferring those of the white-bark and 

 limber pines {Finns albicaulis and /'. flexilis) but also eating those of yellow 

 pine (P. ponderosa) when the others are not to be had. Since white-bark pine 

 is a Hudsonian zone tree, yellow pine a Transition species, and limber pine 

 ranging from Hudsonian down through Canadian and into Transition, tiic 

 abundance of Nutcrackers at various elevations in fall and winter, varies with 

 the abundance of the seeds of these various species. 



Nesting begins very early, and the almost impenetrable condition of the 

 mountains at this season has made the nest, in spite of the abundance of the bird, 

 a rare find. Since at least some individuals breed in the Transition zone, the 

 nest is by no means so hard to find as that of the Rocky Mountain Jay, which 

 is probably always in Canadian or Hudsonian. Nutcrackers were noted gather- 

 ing nesting material at Trego, February 26, 1916 (Kitfcredge, MS). A nest was 

 discovered near Salesville, Gallatin County, in March (Pyfer, 1897, p. 100). A 

 nest was found in Norton Gulch, Silver Bow County, March 14, 1910, when it 

 was about completed. The first egg w^as laid March 18, and five eggs were laid 

 altogether. The nest was robbed, probably by a squirrel, on March 23 (Saun- 

 ders, 1910d, p. 195). Another nest, discovered in Charcoal Gulch, Silver Bow 

 County, April 28, 1910, contained two fully fledged young (Saunders, 1. c). 

 Young out of the nest have been noted May 9, 1903, in Fergus County (Silloway, 

 1903a, p. 43). 



191. Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus (Wied) 



PiNYON Jay 

 A common permanent resident of extreme southeastern ^lontana, nesting in 



