Red Crossbill Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A stocky, medium-sized songbird with short, notched tail and an unusual, twisted bill that crosses when closed.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a warbler, smaller than a Red-winged Blackbird, but there’s much size variation: the smallest types are barely larger than a Black-capped Chickadee, while the largest are larger than a Brown-headed Cowbird.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
• Color Pattern

  Adult males are brick red overall, with darker wings and tail. Females are mostly yellowish below, brownish or olive brown above. Immatures are brownish above, pale with brownish streaking below.

• Behavior

  Red Crossbills eat conifer seeds and forage in flocks, which often fly in unison from tree to tree. Crossbills sometimes gather grit on the ground in the morning. Adult males perch on top of conifers to sing and watch for predators. Red Crossbills sometimes attend feeders that offer sunflower seed, especially in the West.

• Habitat

  Chiefly mature coniferous forests in mountains and the boreal forest, but during “irruptions,” single birds and flocks may appear in forests, towns, and backyards far to the south and east of their typical range.