234 AMERICAN CROSSBILL 



American Crossbill : Loxia curvirostra minor. 



Adult male, tips of bill crossed ; body dull red. Adult female, 

 dull olive-green, yellowish on rump. Young, similar to the 

 female, or mixed red and green. Length, about 6 inches. 



GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Northern North America ; resi- 

 dent sparingly north in the eastern United States to Virginia 

 and the southern Alleghanies. 



The Grosbeaks, Pine Finches, and Crossbills 

 are all wandering, erratic birds, flocks of which 

 may appear any winter's day. The Crossbills, as 

 they fly overhead, announce themselves with a 

 metallic Mmp^ kimp, kimp, suggestive of the note 

 of the Purple Finch. When they settle on the 

 ground they go to picking up food so quietly, and 

 with such an air of being at home, that they might 

 almost be a flock of little tame Pigeons. For 

 like the Grosbeaks, Siskins, and other northern 

 birds who see little of man, they are sad commen- 

 taries on the unnatural wildness of most of our 

 birds. In looking at a flock, the first thing one 

 notices about them is their variety of coloring ; 

 they shade from the bright reds of the adult 

 males to the dull greenish yellows 

 of the young and female. The 

 second thing that attracts the eye 

 is the curious crossed bill. It 

 FIG. 145. seems such a poor tool, you wonder 

 Bill of Cross- j low t h e bi r( j s can ever mana g e to 



pick up their food with it; but 

 when you see them cling to a cone and extract 



