Baby Clark's nutcrackers: from egg to fledgling
A Clark's Nutcracker lays 2–6 eggs. They hatch after 16–18 days, and the young leave the nest 20–24 days later — about 36–42 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–18 days
- Time in the nest
- 20–24 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 36–42 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Stick cup on a conifer branch, often nesting in late winter
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (16–18 days): 2–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (20–24 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season Clark's nutcrackers mainly eat whitebark and limber pine seeds, insects.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young Clark's nutcrackers are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When Clark's nutcrackers nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in California (Jan) and latest in Alberta (Mar). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alberta | Mar–Apr |
| British Columbia | Mar–Apr |
| California | Jan–Apr |
| Colorado | Feb–Apr |
| Idaho | Feb–Apr |
| Montana | Mar–Apr |
| Nevada | Feb–Apr |
| Oregon | Feb–Apr |
| Utah | Feb–Apr |
| Washington | Feb–Apr |
| Wyoming | Mar–Apr |
Found a baby Clark's Nutcracker?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about Clark's nutcrackers
Frequently asked
How long do baby Clark's nutcrackers stay in the nest?
About 20–24 days after hatching. Eggs take 16–18 days to hatch, so it is roughly 36–42 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Clark's Nutcracker lay?
2–6 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do Clark's nutcrackers nest?
Stick cup on a conifer branch, often nesting in late winter.
What should I do if I find a baby Clark's Nutcracker on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.