Nucifraga columbiana

The Clark's Nutcracker of higher, cooler elevations is entirely dependent upon White Bark Pine and the nuts its cones yield. Daily in the summertime they collect hundreds to thousands of these pine nuts and cache most of them for the winter, when no food is available. I've been told that Nutcrackers will remember with terrific accuracy where their caches are, burrowing down at angles through tens of feet of snow to retrieve them.

Though referred to as Nutcrackers (and named after the latter of the famous exploring duo, Lewis and Clark, who brought back many specimens from their trip through western North America) they are in the jay family. This seems appropriate when you observe their gregarious social behavior and talent for mimicry.