Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana)
Number of accepted Clark's Nutcracker records for Louisiana = 1 as of 25th Report of the LBRC (2022)
Accepted Records
One (97-09) from 9-11 Feb. 1997, Natchitoches: Kisatchie National Forest on Longleaf Pine Vista Road,
0.4 mi. W of Caroline Dorman Trail; B. Mac Myers III (ph), Phillip A. Wallace (ph); Matt Pontiff
(ph) and Joseph P. Kleiman (FN 51(3):759 includes a photo by Pontiff; also found by Curtis C. Sorrells).
The bird had a noticeably deformed bill with crossed, abnormally long mandibles. The record coincided
with a pattern of nutcracker occurrences in the Southwest and Midwest (FN 51(l);89;97;100;112;116; FN
51(3);756;767;771;791;795;798). The bill was considered a natural deformity rather than a result of a
captive/assisted origin, and there were no other obvious signs of cage-wear.
photo by Dave Patton