What is a Crossbill?

What are the Characteristics of the Small Group of Birds Known as Crossbills?

Aug 25, 2006 Rosemary Drisdelle

A description of the crossbills including physical cahracteristics, habitat, preferred food, and what differentiates them from the rest of the finches.

Crossbills belong to the finches (family Carduelidae, Genus Loxia) and are distinguished by a beak that crosses over itself at the tip. This awkward looking beak allows the birds to expertly remove the seeds from evergreen cones, their primary source of food. Four species of crossbills are found in Europe and two in North America, each with its preferred species of evergreen cone. The North American species are found primarily in Canada and in the mountainous areas of the United States.

Articles:

Migratory Bird Day (IMBD)

Blog entries:

Scotland Claims its Own Unique Indigenous Finch, the Scottish Crossbill

The copyright of the article What is a Crossbill? in Birds is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish What is a Crossbill? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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