380 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



When on the wing the birds of a flock call frequently and 

 almost continuously to one another, uttering a harsh, twice 

 repeated note sounding like "pip-pish" or "kip kip" or some- 

 times much like "shack-shack." Their flight is undulating. 

 When they alight they often utter a few soft calls. The song 

 of the male is "Grosbeak-like" lower, softer, but still very 

 similar, a series of softly warbled notes. 



522. Loxia leucoptera Gmel. White-winged Crossbill. 



Plumage of adult male : throat, breast, sides, back, rump and belly more or 

 less colored or washed with dull rosy ; back somewhat black marked ; wings 

 and tail black, the feathers outwardly narrowly edged with pale yellowish; 

 the wing coverts white tipped, forming two distinct white wing bars ; belly 

 whitish. Plumage of adult female : wings and tail as in male ; feathers on 

 back and head with blackish centers ; more or less suffused with olive green 

 above and below ; bright yellow on rump. Immature plumage : similar to 

 corresponding stage of American Crossbill, but slightly darker. To be told 

 in all plumages by the two white wing bars. Bill always crossed, the lower 

 mandible being either to the right or left of the upper. Wing 3.40 ; cul- 

 men 0.60. 



Geog. Dist. — Breeds from Maine and the northern states northwards to 

 Arctic regions ; in winters irregularly and sporadically southward, sometimes 

 to Illinois and Virginia. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; rare winter visitor, (Johnson). Aroos- 

 took; locally found as resident, especially in the Woolastook Valley about 

 Fort Kent and St. Francis, (Knight). Cumberland; rare winter migrant, 

 (Mead). Franklin; common winter resident, (Richards). Hancock; sporad- 

 ically occurring, seen throughout summer on the islands, usually rare, 

 (Knight). Kennebec; very rare resident, (Powers). Knox; (Rackliff). Ox- 

 ford ; breeds rarely, found a nest in June, 1880, and secured the birds, (Nash). 

 Penobscot ; usually very rare, occasionally sporadically common, seen every 

 month in the year, though not consecutively, (Knight). Piscataquis ; winter 

 visitor, some winters common, (Homer). Sagadahoc; not common, (Spin- 

 ney). Somerset; seen in summer in northern county, (Knight). Waldo; 

 sporadic at all seasons, (Knight). Washington; uncertain, some winters 

 common, breeds in winter, (Boardman). 



The remarks made in general about the American Crossbill 



will apply with equal force to the present species, and indeed 



sometimes both species occur in the same flocks. The call note 



of this species is slightly softer and lower, a whistled "peet 



peet," otherwise very similar. As far as my acquaintance with 



