234 AMERICAN CROSSBILL 



American Crossbill : Loxia curvirostra minor. 



Adult male, tips of bill crossed ; body dull red. Adult female, 

 dull olive-green, yellowish on rump. Young, similar to the 

 female, or mixed red and green. Length, about iS\ inches. 



Geogkaphic Distkibutiox. — Northern North America ; resi- 

 dent sparingly north in the eastern United States to Virginia 

 and the southern Alleghanies. 



The Grosbeaks, Pine Finches, and Crossbills 



are all wandering, erratic birds, flocks of which 



may appear any winter's da}^ The Crossbills, as 



they fly overhead, aiinonnce themselves with a 



metallic kimp^ kimp., kimj)^ suggestive of the note 



of the Purple Finch. When they settle on the 



ground they go to picking up food so quietly, and 



with such an air of being at home, that they might 



almost be a flock of little tame Pigeons. For 



like the Grosbeaks, Siskins, and other northern 



birds who see little of man, they are sad commen> 



taries on the unnatural wildness of most of our 



birds. In looking at a flock, the first thing one 



notices about them is their variety of coloring ; 



they shade from the bright reds of the adult 



males to the dull greenish yellows 



of the young and female. The 



second thing that attracts the eye 



is the curious crossed bill. It 



Fig. 145. seems such a poor tool, you wonder 



Bill of Cross- j-jQ^y ^j-jg birds can ever manasre to 

 1 '11 



pick up their food with it; but 



when you see them cling to a cone and extract 



