Crossing Paths

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches

     

     Last year, Red Crossbills visited my feeders containing black oil sunflower seeds between May 15 and May 28th. Those sightings remain the only time I've seen these perfectly-named birds. 

     Compared to most birds, there’s a lot more to learn about Red Crossbills. The following paragraph taken from allaboutbirds.org [accessed Feb. 10, 2025] summarizes this bird well. 

     "Traditionally considered a single species of multiple races, Loxia curvirostra may actually comprise more than half a dozen separate species—each of them showing a mix of traits so close to the others that they are inseparable in the field. Even taxonomists with specimens in the hand are often uncertain of what they have. Birds of different bill sizes and shapes apparently prefer different conifer species (the smallest types feeding on hemlocks, the largest on white pines), but the differences must be measured in millimeters, and all groups feed on the seeds of different trees when their primary preferences are unavailable. Still more perplexing, all populations are nomadic and apparently able to nest anywhere in their widely varying ranges, at any time, from early winter through late summer, whenever local seed crops are rich enough. No birder should feel certain making an in-the-field ID of any member of this group based on geography, seasonality, foraging behavior, body size, bill shape, or plumage."

Photo 5/16/2024, Duluth, MN

Photo 5/16/2024, Duluth, MN

Photo 5/28/2024, Duluth, MN

Stay wild, my friends.

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