Scottish Crossbill - when and where? (1 Viewer)

wheatear32 · May 8, 2018

Hi all,

Apart from the discussion if a Scottish Crossbill is identifiable or not or if it is a species... so no comment on that please?

I'd like to plan a trip to Scotland for seeing Scottish Crossbill, but have no clue which time of the year is best for trying my luck?
And if you happen to know a good place for it, you're welcome to share it as well, please?

I've searched the forum, but can't find a thread with info on when (and where is not always clear as well).

Thanks a lot in advance!

Miguel (from Belgium)

Andrew Whitehouse · May 8, 2018

I would say that you're best to target forests of Scots Pine, rather than plantations of other conifers where Common Crossbill is more likely to be found. Keep in mind that Parrot Crossbill is also in Scottish pine forests. The pine forests of Speyside (maybe Abernethy, Rothiemurchus etc.) or Deeside (e.g. Glen Tanar, Mar Lodge) could be good places to try.

Nutcracker · May 8, 2018

I'd understood they primarily used larch plantations? But as with any crossbill, they'll use anything that's available if their preferred species has a blank crop.

AdamSi · May 9, 2018

They were here in April and would think they there all year? https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/corrimony

Nutcracker · May 9, 2018

AdamSi said:
They were here in April and would think they there all year? https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/corrimony

Not necessarily; they are not sedentary, and will move around in response to cone crop failures, much the same as curvirostra does, except not so far.

It also begs the question of ID reliability; were they genuinely scotica (if such a thing exists at all now!), or pytyopsittacus? Or curvirostra?? :-O

wheatear32 · May 10, 2018

Thanks for the locations. Best timing would be April then or am I wrong?

Ok, as with all crossbills, they move around with the availability of food, but I assume trying several known spots is a better bet than just one or 2 places. Thanks!

Hotspur · May 10, 2018

wheatear32 said:
Thanks for the locations. Best timing would be April then or am I wrong?

Ok, as with all crossbills, they move around with the availability of food, but I assume trying several known spots is a better bet than just one or 2 places. Thanks!

Yup, and get some sound recordings!

jpoyner · May 10, 2018

wheatear32 said:
Hi all,

Apart from the discussion if a Scottish Crossbill is identifiable or not or if it is a species... so no comment on that please?

I'd like to plan a trip to Scotland for seeing Scottish Crossbill, but have no clue which time of the year is best for trying my luck?
And if you happen to know a good place for it, you're welcome to share it as well, please?

I've searched the forum, but can't find a thread with info on when (and where is not always clear as well).

Thanks a lot in advance!

Miguel (from Belgium)

"Scottish Crossbill" are supposed to be resident and sedentary, so in theory there is no best time of year though Crossbills will be singing in late winter/early spring, so it can be easier to locate them. Saying that, there can be times when any Crosbbill is hard to find in the traditional areas of Scotland when the cone crop has failed...so it's a very difficult question to answer, a lot depends on food source which is unpredicatable. Abernethy Forest in Strathspey is as good a place as any to try your luck.

Scottish Crossbill - when and where? (1 Viewer)

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