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In: Common Crossbill Ca: Trencapinyes Da: Lille Korsnæb De: Fichtenkreuzschnabel Es: Piquituerto común Fi: pikkukäpylintu Fr: Bec-croisé des sapins It: Crociere Nl: Kruisbek No: Grankorsnebb Pt: Cruza-bico Sv: Mindre korsnäbb US: Red Crossbill Ru: Клест-еловик Bird News Extra subscribers should log in to view an enhanced species page.
IdentificationThe Crossbill is something of a Parrot of the Pine Forests. Their stout build, clumsy looking beaks and habits of sidling along branches or pecking at pine cones while they hold them in one foot are all distinctly parrot-like. Crossbills are slightly bigger but distinctly fatter-looking than, say, Chaffinches, and have big bills with pointed mandibles crossed at the tips. The males are brick-red on the head, back and underparts, the females more of a dark browny-green with an obvious yellow rump. Juveniles are grey-brown and heavily streaked but lacking white or yellow in the wing or tail. Their bills are initially uncrossed but are still far too stout to allow any confusion with say Redpoll. HabitatBreeds and winters in coniferous plantations and woodlands with a preference for spruces. BehaviourCrossbills have crossed mandibles which enable them to poke into the gaps of opening cones and extract the seeds at the base of each scale. In theory the different species of Crossbill have different shaped bills making each one better adapted for a particular species of cone: Crossbills specialise in feeding on Spruce cones, Parrot Crossbills on Pine cones and Two-barred Crossbills on Larch cones. MigrationMostly resident but capable of long distance 'irruptive' movements when their numbers are high as a result of a good food supply. This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.
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