CrossblU WESTERN BIRDS 



come red until after his second summer, so that at some 

 nests both birds will be yellowish, while others, those 

 owned by the adult male, will have one bird red. 



These parrot-like birds are famous for their erratic 

 wanderings, seemingly having no regard for the laws of 

 migration which govern most birds, but staying where 

 there is the best food supply, regardless of season. The 

 seeds of pine cones are their delight and they swing up- 

 side down, or otherwise, as with their peculiar bills they 

 get these seeds, by prying and cutting open the cone, 

 when they extract the seed with their tongues. They 

 are gregarious birds, going about in flocks, flying in an 

 undulating flight and keeping up a sharp clicking, or 

 whistling, note. Being by Nature adapted to the seeds 

 of cones, one may expect to find them where these cones 

 are abundant and to seldom see them where the cones 

 are lacking, although they do eat seeds of fruit and 

 berries. 



These interesting birds are found both east and west 

 in favored localities, ranging along the western coast 

 to the mountains of southern California, in southern 

 Colorado, Michigan, and in the Alleghenies of northern 

 Georgia ; sometimes nesting in Massachusetts, Maryland, 

 and Virginia; wintering irregularly south to southern 

 California, New Mexico, northern Texas, Louisiana and 

 Florida. 



In the southwest the bird that is most frequently 

 seen and that usually in the high mountains, is known 

 as the Mexican Crossbill and differs from the American 

 chiefly in being larger and having somewhat brighter 

 colors. 



Another Crossbill, which is known as the Whitewing, 

 differs from the others in having white patches on the 

 wings. It is even rarer than the others, but is found 

 irregularly both east and west. 



From my own observations I should say that to see 

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