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Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
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About the Red Crossbill
The red crossbill or common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Crossbills have distinctive mandibles, crossed at the tips, which enable them to extract seeds from conifer cones and other fruits. Adults are often brightly coloured, with red or orange males and green or yellow females, but there is wide variation in beak size and shape, and call types, leading to different classifications of variants, some of which have been named as subspecies. The species is known as "red crossbill" in North America and "common crossbill" in Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Loxia curvirostra
- Family
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Order
- Passeriformes
Similar species
Other members of the finches, euphonias, and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Akekee Loxops caeruleirostris
- Akiapolaau Hemignathus wilsoni
- Akikiki Oreomystis bairdi
- Akohekohe Palmeria dolei
- American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
- Anianiau Magumma parva
- Apapane Himatione sanguinea
- Asian Rosy-Finch Leucosticte arctoa
- Black Rosy-Finch Leucosticte atrata
- Black Siskin Spinus atratus
- Black-capped Siskin Spinus atriceps
- Black-headed Siskin Spinus notatus
Know when the Red Crossbill turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Red Crossbill
Optics
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Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
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