American Crossbill 333 
northern portions of the Old and New Worlds, extending south along 
high mountain ranges, especially where there are pine forests. Three 
forms have been met with in Colorado. 
Key oF tHE SPECIES. 
A. Wing without white bars. 
a. Smaller; wing 3-5; bill shorter, culmen -70. L. c. minor, p. 333. 
b. Larger; wing 3-8; bill longer, culmen -90. 
L. c. stricklandi, p. 334. 
B. Wing with two white cross-bars. L. leucoptera, p. 334. 
American Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra minor. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 521—Colorado Records (including those of L. c. 
stricklandt)—Trippe 74, p. 109; Henshaw 75, p. 248; Scott 79, p. 93; 
Minot 80, p. 229; Drew 81, p. 143; 85, p. 16; Allen & Brewster 83, 
p. 160; Morrison 87, p. 35; 88, p. 73; 89, p. 149; Kellogg 90, p. 88 ; 
Breninger 94, p. 99; Cooke 97, pp. 97, 212; Henderson 03, p. 236 ; 
07, p. 440; 09, p. 235; Gilman 07, p. 156. 
Description.—Male—General colour dull red, brightest on the rump, 
becoming plain dusky on the wings and tail; ° below, the reddish 
becomes dusky grey on the abdomen, while the under tail-coverts are 
pale dusky edged with whitish; iris brown, bill horn, legs dusky 
brown ; the intensity and amount of red vary a good deal, and some 
birds breed while still in immature plumage. Length 5-5; wing 3-5; 
tail 2-30; culmen -70; tarsus -70. 
In the female the red is replaced by olive-yellow, which becomes 
quite bright yellow on the rump, but is often little more than a thin 
wash on the rest of the body. It is also slightly smaller (wing 3 to 4). 
Young birds are like the female, but at first have bills like other Finches ; 
the fully crossed mandibles are attained at about six months. 
Distribution.—The American Crossbill is found breeding throughout 
the northern parts of North America and the mountains further south, 
more especially among the coniferous forests, from Alaska to the Sierra 
Nevada, Colorado, and the Alleghanies of northern Georgia, wintering 
at lower elevations and further south to New Orleans, New Mexico 
and the coast districts of California. 
In Colorado the Crossbill is a resident, and is chiefly to be seen in 
the pine woods along the foothills and at lower elevations up to 8,000 
feet, though roving parties may be met with almost anywhere at any 
time of the year up to timber line and even out on the plains. 
Cooke saw a young bird near Lamar in July over 100 miles from the 
mountains. 
Habits.—Except during the breeding season the 
Crossbill is always in flocks, wandering irregularly over 
