nutcracker (bird)

The nutcrackers (Nucifraga) are a genus of three species of passerine bird, in the family Corvidae, related to the jays and crows. One, the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), occurs in Europe and Asia. The next, the large-spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga multipunctata) occurs in the Himalayas and is sometimes considered a subspecies of the spotted. The last, the Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), occurs in western North America.