# White-winged Crossbill (*Loxia leucoptera*) The White-winged Crossbill is a colorful bird known for its special beak that helps it crack open pine cones to eat seeds. They are often found in snowy forests and are great at flying through trees! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![White-winged Crossbill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Whitewingedcrossbillmale09.jpg&width=800) Photo: John Harrison at https://www.flickr.com/photos/15512543@N04/, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whitewingedcrossbillmale09.jpg) ## Appearance The White-winged Crossbill is a medium-sized finch. Males are rosy-red with distinctive dark wings and two prominent white wing bars. Females have yellowish-olive plumage with similar contrasting white wing markings. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Fringillidae - **Genus:** Loxia ## Interesting facts - Their young are born with straight beaks, which cross as they grow up! - These birds can travel thousands of kilometers just to find yummy conifer cones. - They often breed in the depths of winter, even when it's super cold. - White-winged Crossbills can extract seeds from closed cones faster than squirrels! ## Special abilities - **Cone Unzipper:** White-winged Crossbill can pry open tough conifer cones because of its unique crossed bill that helps them extract hidden seeds. - **Winter Breeder:** White-winged Crossbill can nest and raise chicks in winter when food is abundant because of their specialized diet of conifer seeds. - **Acrobatic Feeder:** White-winged Crossbill can hang upside down like a parrot because of strong feet that help them access hard-to-reach seeds. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 14-17 cm - **Wingspan:** 26-29 cm - **Weight:** 0.025-0.04 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-7 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds mostly eat seeds from conifer cones, using their special bills to get them out. - **Primary Foods:** Spruce seeds, Larch seeds, Pine seeds, Fir seeds, Birch seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Primary food source - **Depends on:** [Tamarack](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tamarack) (*Larix laricina*) — Important food source - **Depends on:** [Jack Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/jack-pine) (*Pinus banksiana*) — Key food source - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — Predator of adults ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-winged Crossbill? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is White-winged Crossbill? 14-17 cm ### What is White-winged Crossbill's wingspan? 26-29 cm ### How much does White-winged Crossbill weigh? 0.025-0.04 kg ### How long does White-winged Crossbill live? 3-7 years ### How fast can White-winged Crossbill move? 55 km/h ### What does White-winged Crossbill eat? These birds mostly eat seeds from conifer cones, using their special bills to get them out. ### Where is White-winged Crossbill usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Kincaid Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kincaid-park) — Alaska, US · Park - [Nancy Greene Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nancy-greene-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-winged Crossbill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-winged-crossbill)