White-winged Crossbill

Loxia leucopteraOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)

Codes: Common Name: WWCR Scientific Name: LOXLEU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179268

White-winged Crossbill Winter Breeding Male

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Overview

White-winged Crossbill: Medium crossbill, bright pink overall except for black wings with two bold white wing-bars. Belly has dull white center; white undertail coverts. Black tail, deeply notched. Swift bounding flight, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

White-winged Crossbill: Breeds from Alaska and northern Quebec south to Newfoundland and British Columbia. In winter, found south to the Carolinas and Oregon. Also occurs in Eurasia. Found in coniferous forests.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"sweet-sweet-sweet", "chif-chif-chif", "peet"

Interesting Facts

The White-winged Crossbill has been observed breeding in all 12 months. Breeding depends only upon a food supply that is sufficient for egg formation and rearing of young.

The unusual shape of the bill is an adaptation that makes it easier for them to remove the seeds from cones. The bill holds the cone scales open while the seed is removed with the tongue.

These birds have a specialized "pocket" in the middle throat that allows them to store additional seeds. An individual of this species may consume as many as 3,000 conifer seeds in one day.

A group of crossbills are collectively known as a "crookedness" and a "warp" of crossbills.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Related Birds

House Finch
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
Pine Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Common Rosefinch
Eurasian Bullfinch

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

White-winged Crossbill

● Song: "sweet-sweet-sweet", "chif-chif-chif", "peet"

● Foraging & Feeding: White-winged Crossbill: Eats conifer seeds, other seeds, weeds, grasses, and insects. Forages in small flocks during most of year; attracted to salt licks and salt on surfaces of winter highways.

● Breeding & nesting: White-winged Crossbill: Three to five brown and purple spotted, white to blue green eggs are laid in a nest made of grass, bark, lichens, moss, and hair, and lined with twigs and weeds. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: White-winged Crossbill: American Goldfinch is smaller, has stubby pink bill, white undertail coverts, black wings with two white to buff wing-bars, and lacks white patch across base of primaries.

Flight Pattern

Swift bounding flight with rapidly beating wings alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

White-winged Crossbill Winter Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: White-winged Crossbill: Breeds from Alaska and northern Quebec south to Newfoundland and British Columbia. In winter, found south to the Carolinas and Oregon. Also occurs in Eurasia. Found in coniferous forests.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight1 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America