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    Red Crossbill Identification

    Red Crossbill Adult male
    Adult male

    Medium-sized finch with a crisscrossed bill. Adult males are red overall with darker brownish-red wings (some individuals may show wingbars).

    © Christoph Moning | Macaulay LibraryBayern, May 23, 2010
    Red Crossbill Female
    Female

    Full-bodied finch with a crisscrossed bill. Females are yellowish with dark unmarked wings.

    © Chris Wood | Macaulay LibraryNew York, February 25, 2007
    Red Crossbill Adult male
    Adult male

    Typical call is a series of short, sharp "jip" notes.

    © David O Brown | Macaulay LibraryNew York, August 09, 2006
    Red Crossbill Immature male
    Immature male

    Immature males are a patchy mix of red and orangish yellow feathers as they molt into adult plumage. Note dark unmarked wings and tail.

    © Daniel Casey | Macaulay LibraryMontana, January 29, 2017
    Red Crossbill Juvenile
    Juvenile

    Juveniles are heavily streaked overall with thin buffy wingbars, which can be hard to see depending on position of the bird.

    © Christoph Moning | Macaulay LibraryBayern, May 23, 2010
    Red Crossbill Female
    Female

    Uses its crisscrossed bill to extract seeds from pine cones. Females are yellowish overall.

    © Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 29, 2012
    Red Crossbill Flock
    Flock

    Moves in large nomadic flocks in search of good cone crops.

    © Ross Gallardy | Macaulay LibraryVirginia, April 01, 2016
    Red Crossbill Habitat
    Habitat

    Found in mature evergreen forests with large cone crops. Feeds on seeds from spruce, Douglas-fir, eastern and western hemlock, or pine trees.

    © Marlene Cashen | Macaulay LibraryWashington, November 28, 2015
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    Adult Description

    • Stocky red or greenish finch.
    • Plain blackish wings.
    • Short, notched tail.
    • Thick, curved bill with crossed tips.

    Male Description

    Head and body deep brick red to reddish yellow, or greenish. Wing feathers blackish brown, without wingbars. Tail blackish brown.

    Female Description

    Uniformly olive or grayish, with greenish or greenish yellow chest and rump. Wing feathers blackish brown, without wingbars. Tail blackish brown.

    Immature Description

    Juvenile with heavy dark streaks on whitish chest. Back gray-brown tinged with pale green or brown. Rump yellowish with dark streaks. Thin buffy wingbars. Immature like adult female, but some males may be reddish or mixed red and yellow.
    Relative Size

    Relative Sizesparrow or smallersparrow-sized or smaller
    Measurements
    • Both Sexes

      Species in This Family

      Finches, Euphonias, and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Fringillidae)

      Evening GrosbeakEvening Grosbeak
      Pine GrosbeakPine Grosbeak
      Gray-crowned Rosy-FinchGray-crowned Rosy-Finch
      Black Rosy-FinchBlack Rosy-Finch
      Brown-capped Rosy-FinchBrown-capped Rosy-Finch
      House FinchHouse Finch
      Purple FinchPurple Finch
      Cassin's FinchCassin's Finch
      Common RedpollCommon Redpoll
      Hoary RedpollHoary Redpoll
      Red CrossbillRed Crossbill
      Cassia CrossbillCassia Crossbill
      White-winged CrossbillWhite-winged Crossbill
      Pine SiskinPine Siskin
      Lesser GoldfinchLesser Goldfinch
      Lawrence's GoldfinchLawrence's Goldfinch
      American GoldfinchAmerican Goldfinch

      Browse Species in This Family

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