November Bird of the Month - Crossbills

White-winged Crossbill

Red Crossbill

• White-winged Crossbills and Red Crossbills are occasional visitors to Central Alberta from one year to the next. Their arrival in our area corresponds to the availability of food.
• White-winged Crossbills feed primarily on spruce seeds while Reds prefer pine cone seeds. They can be found in the boreal forest year round and sometimes are seen in Central Alberta in the winter.
• They feed in small flocks, jumping from branch to branch high in the trees, sending a shower of cone "chaff" to the ground.
• They often feed hanging upside down from spruce or pine branches.
• Both may be seen occasionally licking salt from roads.
• The distinguishing characteristic of these birds is their crossed bill, an evolutionary adaptation allowing them to feed on cone crops.
• Two white wing bars distinguish the White-winged from the Red Crossbills with the females of both species having yellow or greenish plumage.
• The "voice" of the White-winged Crossbills consists of "chet" calls, while their song is a series of high-pitched trills.
• The male Reds are orangey-red or brick-red while the male White-winged are reddish pink.
• A similar cone seed eating bird is the Pine Grosbeak. It has similar colouration to the Crossbills, but can be distinguished by its stockier size and heavy, uncrossed, beak.
• In the fall have a look at the top of spruce trees and if you see a heavy cone crop you may see Crossbills come winter.
• The Red Crossbill may come to feeders if you're lucky, but rarely do they do so.
• Click here for more information on and pictures of the White-winged Crossbill.
• Click here for more information on and pictures of the Red Crossbill.