Red Crossbills? MA, USA (1 Viewer)

[TKbird]

Continuing irruption here, but I'd still like confirmation on this poor recording. Thanks in advance!

 

[TKbird]

As no one had downloaded the file, I've now uploaded the audio in a playable format (see above).

 

[Nutcracker]

Nothing there I'd be confident of calling a Crossbill, unfortunately. The sounds at the start remind me strongly of [Eurasian] Siskin, so check out Pine Siskin (IIRC, sounds similar).

Edit: yes; your recording matches this Pine Siskin well: https://www.xeno-canto.org/582575

 

[TKbird]

Nothing there I'd be confident of calling a Crossbill, unfortunately. The sounds at the start remind me strongly of [Eurasian] Siskin, so check out Pine Siskin (IIRC, sounds similar).

Edit: yes; your recording matches this Pine Siskin well: https://www.xeno-canto.org/582575

Hi Nutcracker,
Thanks for your reply. The sounds at the beginning are American Goldfinches. The crossbill flock sounds come in gradually and then fade out again.

 

[KC Foggin]

Just to let you know the Attachment link is not a link. Nothing to open.

 

[TKbird]

Just to let you know the Attachment link is not a link. Nothing to open.

Really? It works for me and seems like it worked for Nutcracker. Here's the link it opens: https://www.birdforum.net/data/video/1308/1308955-07c10381c73877c8aee587e330d8ea19.mov

 

[Nutcracker]

Yep, definitely worked for me!

Tried it again with the volume right up high - there might be some crossbills there, but if there are, they're a call variant markedly higher pitched and 'softer' than the ones I ever hear in Britain.

 

[TKbird]

Yep, definitely worked for me!

Tried it again with the volume right up high - there might be some crossbills there, but if there are, they're a call variant markedly higher pitched and 'softer' than the ones I ever hear in Britain.

Thanks! Yes, these would most likely be Sitka Spruce. I'm 95% sure they're RECRs, I just thought I'd post for confirmation.

 

[birdmeister]

I'm fairly sure they're crossbills as well.

 

[Nutcracker]

Thanks! Yes, these would most likely be Sitka Spruce. I'm 95% sure they're RECRs, I just thought I'd post for confirmation.

Not Sitka Spruce, that's a west coast species in MA, your most common spruces will be White Spruce and Red Spruce
But yes, the crossbills there should be ssp. minor, which (as the name suggests) is small as crossbills go.

 

[birdmeister]

Not Sitka Spruce, that's a west coast species in MA, your most common spruces will be White Spruce and Red Spruce
But yes, the crossbills there should be ssp. minor, which (as the name suggests) is small as crossbills go.

That may be true, Nutcracker, but Red Crossbills in North America wander incredibly widely.

The northeastern US has had a huge irruption of Red Crossbills this fall/winter, with many settling in coastal pines along the eastern seaboard, with others going as far south as the Georgia mountains. Most of the calls recorded are of Type "10", which is currently very hard to distinguish from the mysterious and somewhat unknown Type "7". Other calls have been confirmed as Type "2".

Both "2" and "10" are mainly resident in the Pacific Northwest, with 10 being associated with Sitka Spruce and 2 with Ponderosa Pine. However, they seem to adapt to eastern cones of similar size when irrupting.

Here's an eBird article detailing the call types, some of which are still fairly unknown: https://ebird.org/news/crossbills-of-north-america-species-and-red-crossbill-call-types/

Let me know if it's blocked for non-registered viewers.

 

[Rapala]

I do believe I hear the "kip kip" flight calls of Red Crossbill as well.

 

[raymie]

Not Sitka Spruce, that's a west coast species in MA, your most common spruces will be White Spruce and Red Spruce
But yes, the crossbills there should be ssp. minor, which (as the name suggests) is small as crossbills go.

"Sitka Spruce" here referres to a crossbill types that occurs across North America.

 

[TKbird]

Hi all,
I'm back! Thanks for all the posts. Yes, when I said Sitka Spruce I was referring to the RECR type (10). All the RECR's I've had in the last year have been type 10, but others have had types 1, 2, and 3 nearby! Great year.
In case anyone's still interested, I did end up sending this recording to Tim Spahr and he confirmed type 10 RECR.
TKbird