Page 394 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

FINCHES
Order Passeriformes Family Fringillidae Species Loxia curvirostra
Crossbill
conspicuously
small dark hooked bill
eye
dark wings, rarely with
narrow pale bars
brown greenish
wings body
MALE FEMALE
bright
pinkish
rump
IN FLIGHT MALE
streaked
below
rich red
rump

JUVENILE dark tail
everal species of crossbills occur
S in Europe, with the three plain-
winged ones – the common, Parrot, red underside
and Scottish Crossbills (see p.452) – being
the most difficult to separate.The common Crossbill feeds on
spruce seeds but also survives quite well in areas where larch or pine
predominate (trees favoured by the smaller Two-barred and larger
Scottish or Parrot Crossbills). It is subject to periodic irruptions FLIGHT: strong, direct, bursting from treetops in
when large numbers travel far and wide in search of food: almost sudden noisy flurry; fast wingbeats between glides
any clump of pines may then host Crossbills for a time.They feed with closed wings.
quietly but may burst out of a treetop with loud flight calls. THIRSTY FINCH
VOICE Loud, abrupt calls, similar to young Greenfinch but louder, Crossbills eat dry seeds and need
more staccato, jup-jup-jup or chip-chip-chip; easy access to pools for frequent
quiet conversational notes while feeding; bouts of drinking.
song mixes buzzy notes, calls, and bright
warbles and trills.
NESTING Small nest of twigs, moss, and
bark, lined with hair or wool; 3 or 4 eggs;
1 brood; January–March.
FEEDING Eats seeds of spruce, larch,
pine, and other conifers, using crossed bill
to prise them from cones on twigs; also
eats some berries, buds, and insects.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Scattered over most of Europe
PARROT CROSSBILL 32; TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL 32; except in Iceland, but erratic, not
see p.451 see p.451
present in most years in many
larger head striking areas. Core areas in extensive
white wingbars woods of spruce, larch, and pine,
band on
wings larger with variety of more or less distinct
bill
local populations.
HAWFINCH 32; tertials have Seen in the UK
see p.391 white tips J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 16cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 27–30cm (10 1 ⁄2 –12in) Weight 34–38g (1 3 ⁄16 –1 6 ⁄16oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan 2–5 years Status Secure
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