10 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



of cone-bearing forest and find Crossbills ; there 

 may not be a Crossbill within a hundred miles. 



Some observations have been made south of 

 Canada in the summer time in most unexpected 

 localities, but it is from November to March that 

 flocks of from a few dozen to a few hundred 

 roam about from forest to forest, and occa- 

 sionally fly about towns where coniferous trees 

 are scattered or where small frozen apples and 

 hard rose seeds tempt the birds to a side dish. 

 Dr. Merrill reports them as common at Fort 

 Sherman, Idaho, where they can be seen every 

 month of the year and are as tame as English 

 Sparrows. But in the east the eccentric wander- 

 ings of the flocks have made their visitations 

 events of importance to bird observers. 



Their kimp-kimp or pip-pip, somewhat like a 

 chicken peeping, is the conversational chatter that 

 can be heard while a few dozen birds are break- 

 ing up the cones far up in the trees. The song, 

 given only during the breeding season, is said 

 by Gerald Thayer to be " a series of somewhat 

 goldfinch-like trills and whistles." 



Alfred Newton in his Dictionary of Birds says 

 of the process of feeding on cone seeds : " For- 

 tunately the birds soon become tame in confine- 

 ment, and a little patience will enable an atten- 

 tive observer to satisfy himself as to the process, 

 the result of which at first seems almost as un- 

 accountable as that of a clever conjuring trick." 



European Crossbills have been imported into 

 America, but it is not known if the stock has 

 continued. The largest of the Crossbills is the 

 Mexican Crossbill ( Toxia curvirostra sfrick- 

 landi) whose northern area extends up into 

 the higher mountains of Arizona and New 

 Mexico. These birds are about an inch longer 

 than the eastern variety. After the breeding 

 season the Mexican variety comes down out of 

 the mountains. Dr. Mearns found them one 

 year among the most commonly seen birds of 

 Arizona, flying about at all times at the watering 

 places and springs. 



The White-winged Crossbill (Loxia Icucop- 

 tcra) is similar in general appearance to the 

 American Crossbill but somewhat larger, the 

 red of the male rose-red or even crimson, and 

 the wings in both sexes, old and young, with 

 two conspicuous white bars. (See Color Plate 

 JJ.) It is less known than the other Crossbills, 

 and ranges a little farther north toward the 

 arctic seas. It seems to be somewhat less com- 

 mon than the Red Crossbill. The flocks seem a 

 little more active and shy, are apt to remain in 

 the tops of trees if food is plenty there, and fly 

 about calling their cheep, cheep loudly and less 

 sedately than the Red Crossbill. Many years 

 will sometimes elapse before numerous flocks 

 will be seen in the northern States in winter. 

 Then the conspicuous white wing-bars and the 

 rosy red males will make their appearance for 

 a few winter weeks. Toward spring its song 

 has sometimes been heard in the wandering 

 flocks. Elon H. Eaton says that it is " a beauti- 

 ful song, perhaps more melodious than that of 

 the Red Crossbill, a low, soft warbling, suggest- 

 ing somewhat the song of the Redpoll." Its 

 nidification is similar to the Common Crossbill's. 

 The eggs are light blue, spotted around the large 

 end with sepia, black, and lilac ; they number 

 three to five and are laid in the winter or early 

 spring when the ground is covered with snow. 

 L. Nelson Nichols. 



The Crossbills are of little importance from an 

 economic standpoint. Very little is known of 

 their summer food ; they probably eat some in- 

 sects. On their winter visits to the United 

 States they show their fondness for the seeds of 

 the arbor vitse, tamarack, various spruces, firs, 

 and pines. The peculiar structure and strength 

 of their bills enable them to tear open the 

 strongest and toughest cones and extract the 

 seeds. Occasionally they injure an evergreen by 

 cutting the twigs or destroying the terminal 

 buds, but as a rule this damage does not amount 

 to much. 



GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH 



Leucosticte tephrocotis tephrocotis Swainson 



A. O. U. Number 5^4 



Other Name. — Gray-crowned Leucosticte. 



General Description. — Length, 7'4 inches. Body, 

 brown; crown, gray. Bill, shorter than head; wings, 

 long and pointed ; tail, about Vi length of wing, and 

 forked ; legs short. Generally found on the ground. 



Color. — Adult Male in Summer: Forehead and 

 part of crown, black; nasal tufts, grayish white; sides 

 of crown (from above eyes backward) and whole of 

 back of head, plain light ash-gray, very strongly con- 

 trasted with the contiguous brown color of the ear 



