Page 453 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

NORTH AMERICAN WARBLERS/FINCHES
Family Parulidae Species Dendroica coronata Family Fringillidae Species Carduelis hornemanni
Yellow-rumped Warbler Arctic Redpoll
While some autumn plumages are very difficult to Redpolls are split into several races or species; the
identify, most North American wood warblers are Arctic Redpoll is usually recognized as a species but
striking birds, at least in summer.Yellow-rumped can be hard to distinguish. Males have a large white
Warblers are small, neat, active birds, distinguished by rump, white underparts, and unmarked undertail
a yellow patch on each side of the chest, and a bright coverts; a broad whitish wingbar, small red forehead
yellow rump.They are streaky brown above, and patch, and a short yellow bill aid identification.
whitish with blacker streaks below in autumn.Two Females and immatures are more streaked, but the
long, diagonal wingbars are clearly visible.The head rump is unstreaked white, the wingbar white, and
is not strongly patterned but has white crescents the undertail area unmarked white.
above and below the eye. OCCURRENCE Breeds in extreme
OCCURRENCE Very rare vagrant N Scandinavia;winters in Scandinavia
in NW Europe in late autumn, and vagrant in W Europe.
from North America. VOICE Calls like Redpoll’s,
VOICE Frequent, hard, not safely distinguishable.
single notes, chik
or twip.

broad
unmarked
two white wingbar
wingbars under tail
white
underparts
IMMATURE (AUTUMN) MALE
Length 12–13cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5in) Wingspan 15cm (6in) Length 12–14cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 21–27cm (8 1 ⁄2 –10 1 ⁄2in)
Family Fringillidae Species Loxia leucoptera Family Fringillidae Species Loxia pytyopsittacus
Two-barred Crossbill Parrot Crossbill
A smallish crossbill,the Two-barred Crossbill is typically Crossbills often give good views, but can still be very
marked by two broad white wingbars (unlike the difficult to tell apart. Parrot Crossbills are heavier,
Crossbill, see p.392, which may only occasionally have stockier,and more bull-necked than common Crossbills
wingbars) and white spots on the tertial tips. Males are (see p.392), with small, centrally placed eyes, often a
rather deep cherry-red with blacker wings (Crossbills greyer “ruff”, and a deep, bulbous bill with a short
tend to be more orange-red with browner wings); hook but extension of the lower mandible above the
females are green and brown,with yellow-green rumps. tip of the upper one. Plumages are like the Crossbill’s;
Dark back spots are distinctive. Juveniles are duller, calls are sometimes distinct but difficult to judge.
browner, with much thinner wingbars, and are difficult OCCURRENCE Breeds in Scandinavia, very rarely
to identify with absolute certainty. in Scotland; occasional migrant/vagrant elsewhere.
OCCURRENCE Rare breeder in extreme VOICE Typically deeper, harder jip jip massive bill
NE Europe; vagrant elsewhere. than Crossbill’s.
VOICE Weaker than Crossbill’s.
heavy, stocky body
two broad MALE
MALE
wingbars

Length 16cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 26–29cm (10–11 1 ⁄2in) Length 16–18cm (6 1 ⁄2 –7in) Wingspan 30–33cm (12–13in)
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