Surviving on Food Storage

In winter there is not much food around in our mountains, but for the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) that’s not a problem at all. When there is a surplus of food in better times, squirrels us food storage techniques. Autumn is a particularly busy time for these furry forest dwellers because that’s the time of year to prepare for winter. But squirrels aren’t the only ones storing food: the most impressive food stasher in the Alps is the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes).

Thousands of seeds and nuts

You’ll often hear a nutcracker before you see one. This noisy bird is the size of a jay (both belong to the corvid family) and has brown plumage with remarkable white speckles. Like all birds, nutcrackers need a lot of energy to keep warm during cold winters, but since food is scarce this time of year, the nutcracker has stashed his meals in advance. In autumn when food is abundant, a single nutcracker buries thousands(!) of seeds and nuts.

Incredible memory

Although the nutcracker buries thousands of nuts and seeds scattered throughout the forest, the bird has no problem retrieving his treasures during winter. Nutcrackers have incredible memories and recall exactly where they have buried all their nuts and seeds. They remember the exact angle of their flight from a tree branch to a hiding place (see drawing), which allows them to retrieve their stashes even from underneath a thick layer of snow!

Planting trees

Nutcrackers bury such an incredible stock with so many seeds and nuts that they can never use all of it during winter. Many seeds and nuts stay buried. In this way, nutcrackers contribute on a large scale to the planting of new trees in the forest.

To be continued…

This blog is part of a series in which I discuss some of the extraordinary strategies and adaptations of wildlife coping with winter in the Alps:

• Introduction
• Hibernation
• Animals turning white
• Life underneath the snow
• Surviving on food storage
• Vertical Migration 
• Coping strategies of ibex, chamois and deer 

• Author
• Recent Posts

Simone van Velzen

In her work as an alpine naturalist Simone adds an exciting new dimension to your Tour du Mont Blanc trek with insights into the incredibly rich flora and fauna of the Alps. Simone studied Wildlife Management at the Van Hall Institute in the Netherlands. After her studies she left her home country (which is flatter than a pancake) and moved to British Columbia. In the Canadian Rockies, she discovered the astonishing richness of mountain environments. Her passion for mountain nature was born. And when she returned to Europe, she based herself in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, the perfect setting for exploring and studying the natural history of mountain environments. As an alpine naturalist she writes for outdoor magazines and leads excursions in the natural world.

If you step into the natural world with Simone, her passion for all living things—wild flowers to lichen, birds to mammals—can’t help but rub off on you. She’s excited to meet you on your Tour du Mont Blanc and share the amazing natural wonders in the Alps.

Latest posts by Simone van Velzen (see all)

• The Alps: A Biodiversity Treasure Trove - December 10, 2020
• Flora in the Alps – Spotlight on the Alpenrose - June 25, 2020
• Tour du Mont Blanc Hightlight: The Contamines-Montjoie Nature Reserve - May 21, 2020