500 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part i 



tance, but if the tree in which they were feeding contains a considerable supply 

 of food they often return to it. After they have fed they frequently alight in a 

 tall tree-top, and often sing from such an elevated perch. 



Of its nesting the same authors write: "Nests in conifers, buUding 

 a nest of twigs, rootlets or strips of bark, and lining it with mosses, 

 hair or fur. The 4 or 5 eggs are pale greenish-blue, spotted with 

 brown and lavender. They may nest at any time from January to 

 July." Mr. Harris supplies the following egg data: The measure- 

 ments of 19 eggs average 21.2 X 15.4 millimeters; the eggs showing 

 the four extremes measure 22.5 X 14.5, 21.0 X 16.7, 19.5 X 15.2, and 

 22.1 X H.l millimeters." 



For field marks Peters and Burleigh (1951) give the following charac- 

 teristics, which are equally applicable to all races of the species: 

 "Adult males are brick-red; young males are yellow, and females are 

 yellow-gray. This parrotlike finch is unmistakable if you are close 

 enough to see its crossed bill. Absence of white on wings separates 

 it from [the white-winged crossbill]." 



The same authors say of its voice: "Song is a finch -like warble. 

 Call note is a sharp kip-kip-kip or jip-jip-jip." 



Otherwise its habits and behavior probably do not differ markedly 

 from those of its better-known close relatives elsewhere. 



Distribution 



Breeding range. — The Newfoundland red crossbill breeds in New- 

 foundland. 



Winter range. — Wanders, chiefly in winter, west and south to western 

 Iowa (Woodbury County), eastern Kansas (Burlington), northern 

 Illinois (Chicago), northern Indiana (Michigan City), southern Ontario 

 (Toronto, Ottawa), northern Virginia (Four-mile Run), and eastern 

 Maryland. 



Casual records. — Casual in Georgia (St. Marys, Stone Mountain) 

 and Bermuda. 



LOXIA CURVIROSTRA MINOR Brehm 



Red Crossbill 



PLATE 27 



Habits 



This is the well known crossbill of eastern North America. Lud- 

 low Griscom (1937), in his exhaustive study of this species, designates 

 this race (under the name neogoca) as "a medium-sized Crossbill with a 

 bill of medium length, but relatively slender, the tip of the upper 

 mandible greatly prolonged beyond the end of the lower; wing 86.5- 

 91; culmen 15.5-17.5; depth of bill 9-10." 



