Family Fringillida American Crossbill 119 



64. AMERICAN CROSSBILL ; RED CROSSBILL 



{Loxia curvirostra minor.) 



Male : dull brick-red, somewhat mottled with brownish ; tail and 

 wings dark brown, almost black. Beak large and strong, the 

 upper part shutting against the side of the lower one like the 

 blades of a pair of scissors. Bird about the size of a sparrow. 

 Female: grayish green above; yellowish gray below; rurnp 

 yellowish green. 



THE American crossbill, though resident in north- 

 ern New England, comes to us only as an extremely, 

 irregular visitant, chiefly in winter. When it does 

 appear, it is always in a flock, often made up largely 

 of birds of other kinds, especially the white-winged 

 crossbill. It is found especially in rather deep co- 

 niferous woods, where it feeds upon the seeds which 

 its curious beak is well adapted to extract from the 

 cone. 



The nest is usually placed in a dense wood on an 

 evergreen tree, at a considerable height from the 

 ground. Crossbills have been known to breed, 

 though rarely, in Massachusetts ; and they have the 

 very exceptional custom of breeding, occasionally at 

 least, in January or February, though March is the 

 more common time. 



The song consists of a " number of loud flute- 

 like notes frequently intermingled with several harsh 

 chattering tones." And the female, contrary to the 



