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Red Crossbill (Loxia Curvirostra) David C Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) David C. Evers Marquette Co., MI 3/17/2007 © Dave Pavlik (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) The Red Crossbill has the Darwinian finch scattered records over the past century that account for the Red Crossbill’s irruptive quality of adapting its bill size and shape to tendencies to follow cone crops combined with various types of food. The consequential an ability to breed in nearly any month of the taxonomic classification for separating year. The regular breeding range of Michigan’s subspecies and identifying new species based on Red Crossbill is confined to the UP. Summer bill morphometrics and flight calls continues. records are known from most UP counties For now, the group of birds known as Red during both Atlas periods. Confirmed breeding Crossbills inhabits a broad area of North in the UP is known from Chippewa, Luce, and America, from Alaska south to Nicaragua Schoolcraft counties during MBBA I and (Adkisson 1996). In the U.S., its breeding range Marquette and Schoolcraft counties during is primarily contained to coastal and MBBA II. Breeding records are not fully mountainous habitats of the West, the northern representative of the Red Crossbill’s regular Great Lakes region and into New York and New breeding range because of its erratic nesting England. Scattered populations along the season and choice of nest sites high in conifers. Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere occur Based on probable and confirmed breeding (Adkisson 1996). In Michigan, it is a year- observations in the UP during both Atlas round resident and breeds primarily in the UP, periods, there are three primary centers of but it can be found throughout the state, breeding activity – northern Chippewa-Luce especially in winter when northern cone crops Counties, central Schoolcraft County, and are sparse. northern Marquette County. Western Ontonagon County and the tip of the Keweenaw Distribution Peninsula also have regular summer The nomadic nature of the Red Crossbill makes observations. its historical status difficult to interpret. Pre- Atlas confirmed breeding records are known The Red Crossbill is closely associated with from three southern LP counties, whereas six conifer forests throughout the year. In counties in the northern LP have confirmed Michigan, savannah-like stands of mature red breeding during both Pre-Atlas (Zimmerman pine comprise preferred habitat. These areas are and Van Tyne 1959, Payne 1983) and MBBA I used by family groups and may serve as periods. However, these are by and large © 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) David C. Evers important food sources for fledglings. Jack pine Literature Cited plains, sand ridges with mature pine, black spruce-tamarack bogs, and recent clearcuts are Adkisson, C.S. 1996. Red Crossbill (Loxia also used in the summer by foraging flocks. curvirostra), In The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab Breeding Biology of Ornithology. Retrieved from the Birds of Breeding activity is generally dictated by North America Online: <http://bna.birds. abundance of cone crops and, while North cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/s American breeding records are known from a pecies/256 doi:10.2173/bna.256> variety of months, photoperiod is an important Benkman C.W., J.W. Smith, P.C. Kennan, T.L. regulator (Adkisson 1996). Michigan nesting Parchman, and L. Santisteban. 2009. A records from March likely represent an initial New Species of The Red Crossbill period that, based on nesting records from (Fringillidae: Loxia) From Idaho. Condor Wisconsin (Cutright et al. 2006), primarily 111:169-176. extends to early May. Conversely, in Ontario, Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. breeding occurs in late summer-early fall or in Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. late winter to coincide with maturing cone crops Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, (Cadman et al. 2007). 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Abundance and Population Trends Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural The Red Crossbill is regularly found during the Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, breeding season across the UP. The number of Ontario. confirmed breeding records declined from Cutright, N.J., B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. MBBA I (n=9) to MBBA II (n=4); however the 2006. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of total number of records nearly doubled during Wisconsin. Wisconsin Society for the second Atlas. The Red Crossbill was found Ornithology. Waukesha, WI. in 9.8% of the UP townships during MBBA I Payne, R.B. 1983. A Distributional Checklist and in 17.4% in MBBA II. of the Birds of Michigan. MP 164. University of Michigan Museum of Conservation Needs Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. The Red Crossbill benefits from the widespread Zimmerman, D.A., and J. Van Tyne. 1959. A number of red pine plantations and the natural Distributional Checklist of the Birds of regeneration in some areas of both red and white Michigan. OP 608. University of Michigan pines. Mature pines appear to be the favored Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. habitat in the UP and such stands are still uncommon. Classification of North American Suggested Citation Red Crossbills into species, subspecies and type remains challenging and could influence future Evers, D.C. 2011. Red Crossbill (Loxia conservation and management efforts, curvirostra). In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, especially if through the identification of new and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2010-2011. The species, associated population size is small Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. (e.g., the South Hills Crossbill in Idaho; Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Benkman et al. 2009). For now, however, it Accessed online at: <www.mibirdatlas.org appears that the Red Crossbill complex does not /Portals/12/MBA2010/RECRaccount.pdf >. have a restricted range in Michigan and remains widespread with stable and potentially increasing breeding populations. © 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center .
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