Species: Loxia leucoptera
White-winged Crossbill
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Fringillidae
Genus
Loxia
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
bec-croisé bifascié
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Fringillidae - Loxia - Song differences between North American and European populations suggest that more than one species exists and that further study is warranted (Elmberg 1993).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false - Irruptive winter migrant. May wander irregularly during periods of population highs or food shortages (Terres 1980).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Eats seeds (e.g., of conifers, birches, grasses, junipers, etc.) and insects; mainly conifer seeds, which also comprise diet of nestlings (Benkman 1990).
Reproduction Comments
May nest any month; depends in part on food supply. Clutch size is 2-5 (usually 3-4). Incubation lasts probably 12-14 days (Terres 1980). Young are fed by both parents, but sometimes by male only (presumably when female deserts and renests). Individual females possibly sometimes produce 2 broods per year (Benkman 1989, Benkman 1990).
Ecology Comments
Does not maintain a feeding territory when breeding.
Length
17
Weight
28
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-12-04
Global Status Last Changed
1996-12-04
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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Global Range
H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - Northern Eurasia and northern North America. RESIDENT: (North America) western and central Alaska, northern Yukon, Mackenzie, northern Ontario, northern Quebec, north-central Labrador, south to Washington, northeastern Oregon, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, south-central Ontario, northern New Hampshire, northeastern New York; wanders in winter to northern Texas, North Carolina, and other states of similar latitude (Terres 1980, AOU 1983).
Global Range Code
H
Global Range Description
>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)