Crossbill ID (1 Viewer)

Wibble

I`m always quite cautious in these matters - but if`d seen it I would have called it as a Common Crossbill - the mandibles show an obvious overlap and there is no obvious bulge to them either - i`d be looking for a much fatter, bulging bill with no obvious cross-over to call it as anything else.....

I'd go for Common, too

Michael

Yes,I would agree with others and opt for Common.

Tom

Hi Linz

..never easy
the first pic, which is a cracker btw, could due to the angle, suggest a flatter head profile and bull-neckedness but the bill doesn't really point to anything other than Common, esp in the sec. pic.

Hi Linz,

Lindsay Cargill said:

There are Spruce sp. trees nearby which appear to have a decent cone crop, though I am no expert. Perhaps Michael can advise ? Has the Spruce crop failed or run out at this location explaining why the Commons are eating Scots Pine ?

Click to expand...

Spruces had a close to zero cone crop in 2003 in Britain; the cones you saw are very probably left-overs from the heavy 2002 crop, and are long-empty of seeds.

Common Crossbills can feed themselves quite adequately on Scots Pine; I suspect that what they can't do on it is feed fast enough to get sufficient extra food to raise enough young to replace mortality. So individuals will survive on it, but populations won't be maintained.

I'm expecting a moderate to good spruce cone crop this year, so the Common Crossbills will probably move back into spruces in the summer, and should breed fairly well toward the end of this year.

Michael