The Nutcracker76

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A bird that shares its name with the famous Russian ballet that begins as night falls on Christmas Eve, the nutcracker has one of the most remarkable memories in the animal kingdom.

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Markus Varesvuo / Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in snow, Muhos, Finland, January

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David Pattyn / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) with hazelnut in forest, Crans Montana, the Alps, Wallis, Switzerland. February

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David Pattyn / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) perched on snowy branch, Crans Montana, the Alps, Wallis, Switzerland. February

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David Pattyn / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in snowy forest, Crans Montana, the Alps, Wallis, Switzerland. February

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feeding from pine cones, Joensuu, Finland, September.

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Pal Hermansen / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) finding cached hazelnut, Sweden, February.

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Pal Hermansen / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) finding cached hazelnut, Sweden, February.

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Konrad Wothe / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) on snow covered spruce tree, Bavaria, Germany, January.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in flight, foraging for pine conees, Finland, July.

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George McCarthy / Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) perched in a Pine tree with purple pine cones, Alberta, Canada

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) removing pine cone from tree, Joensuu, Finland September.

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Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feeding on Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) meat at a winter herders' camp in the Purovsky region of the Yamal. Western Siberia, Russia, February.

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Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feeding on reindeer meat at a winter herders' camp, Purovsky region, Yamal. Western Siberia, Russia

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) with beetle prey, Finland, July.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes) with beetle prey, Finland, July.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes),feeding on pine cone, Finland, July.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feeding on pine cone, Finland, July.

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in flight, Finland, November

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) adult feeding fledgling, Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fledgling begging. Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in snow, Finland, January

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Visuals Unlimited / Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora) mature female cones and needles.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) calling, fluffed up against the cold, Ounasvaara, Rovaniemi, Lappi / Lapland, Finland. January

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Markus Varesvuo / Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) on branch, Muhos, Finland, January

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Guy Edwardes / Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), two fighting in snow. Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria. January.

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Markus Varesvuo / Eurasian Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) perched, Finland, September

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes) taking off from snow covered tree, Finland, January.

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feedingin tree on pine cones, Joensuu, Finland, September.

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) feeding on pine cones, Joensuu, Finland, September.

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Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) with pine coneJoensuu, Finland, September.

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Mateusz Piesiak / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fledgling begging Tatra Mountains, Poland

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Philippe Clement / Nutcracker {Nucifraga caryocatactes} juvenile on stump, Alps, Switzerland.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes), adult feeding a juvenile, Finland, July.

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Jussi Murtosaari / Spotted nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes), adult feeding a juvenile, Finland, July.

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David Pattyn / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) perched on snowy branch, Crans Montana, the Alps, Wallis, Switzerland. February

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) two fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Guy Edwardes / Spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) fighting in snow, Vitosha Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria