White-winged Crossbill
A species of Crossbills Scientific name : Loxia leucoptera Genus : Crossbills
White-winged Crossbill, A species of Crossbills
Botanical name: Loxia leucoptera
Genus: Crossbills
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Photo By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The white-winged Crossbill is a small, brown bird commonly found near water sources, such as lakes, streams, and coastal mudflats. It feeds on insects and spiders, foraging on the ground or in shallow water. During the breeding season, it is known for its distinctive, rich song, which is often performed while the bird is in flight. This species is found across much of Europe and Asia, but also has a presence in North Africa and North America. Despite its widespread distribution, the White-winged Crossbill is a relatively inconspicuous bird, often blending in with its surroundings. 
Size
15 - 17 cm
Colors
Black
Green
Yellow
Red
Life Expectancy
4 years
Nest Placement
Tree
Clutch Size
2 - 4 eggs
Number of Broods
14 - 16 days
Feeding Habits
White-winged Crossbill's diet primarily consists of spruce and tamarack seeds. In scarcity, they consume fir seeds and eat insects like spruce budworm in summer. During irruptions, white-winged Crossbill also eats buds, deciduous tree seeds, and various grasses. Their feeding behavior includes using their bills to extract seeds from cones, often grasping fallen ones, and consuming grit to aid digestion.
Habitat
White-winged Crossbill are primarily found in northern coniferous forests. These birds show a strong preference for spruce and tamarack trees. They thrive at various altitudes in a climate suitable for their favored conifers. They are especially associated with balsam fir and a range of spruce species but are less common in areas dominated by pine, hemlock, and Douglas-fir. Seasonal food scarcity can lead white-winged Crossbill to disperse widely, occasionally visiting unusual habitats like weedy fields, urban plantings, or pine stands.
Nest Behavior
Both sexes of white-winged Crossbill may be involved in the nest site selection, but females primarily construct the nest, using materials sometimes provided by males.
Nest Characteristics
White-winged Crossbill's nest is typically located near the trunk of a spruce tree, often on the southeastern side. It's a cup-shaped structure built from conifer twigs, grasses, forbs, lichen, birch bark, and lined with roots, moss, lichen, hair, spider cocoons, and bark strips. The nest averages 4 inches in width and 2.4 inches in height, with an interior cup measuring 2.3 inches across and 1.5 inches deep.
Dite type
Granivorous
People often ask
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Bird Feeder Type
Large Tube Feeder
Platform
Sounds
Call
Recording location: United States
Song
Recording location: United States
Behavior
White-winged Crossbill typically start their nesting season in late winter, adapting to the availability of food rather than a strict seasonal schedule. With a possibly monogamous system, they engage in courtship through song, pursuit, bill-nibbling, and food sharing, with males pursuing additional mating opportunities. Nest protection is executed by males without territorial feeding defenses, due to abundant food during nesting. Post-nesting, male white-winged Crossbill singly care for fledglings, potentially allowing females to re-mate. Year-round flocking behavior aids in predator vigilance and food source communication, with dominance hierarchy present during feeding. Their reluctance to establish feeding territories is notable, given their reliance on specific seed sources. White-winged Crossbill's threat display is an open-billed lean towards adversaries—a unique detail among their social interactions.
Distribution Area
This bird breeds in the coniferous forests of Alaska, Canada, the northernmost United States and across the Palearctic extending into northeast Europe. It nests in conifers, laying 3–5 eggs. This crossbill is mainly resident, but will irregularly irrupt south if its food source fails. The American race seems to wander more frequently than the Eurosiberian subspecies. This species will form flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with other crossbills. It is a rare visitor to western Europe, usually arriving with an irruption of red crossbills.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Finches Genus
Crossbills Species
White-winged Crossbill 
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