There are some birds which are pretty unmistakeable – and this is one: the crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). Well saying “unmistakeable” may not be quite true. Yes, crossbills are readily identifiable as ...

Red crossbills carry a beak built like a pair of tweezers and a voice that shifts to match whoever they flock with, yet ...

Crossbills are appropriate birds for the Christmas season. There are two species-red crossbill and white-winged crossbill. Both qualify as symbols of Christmas. Both are red overall. The white-winged ...

The red crossbill is aptly named. The bird is red, from brick to bright, and its bill is crossed. The latter is an adaptation, shared only with its close relative, the white-winged crossbill. Both of ...

Crossbills are species of birds that eat seeds from the cones of spruce, pine and other evergreens. Over time they've evolved mandibles that cross at the tips. These odd beaks can be slipped between ...

After walking the grounds of the Morton Arboretum for hours on a December morning, John Leonard and fellow birders were preparing to go to lunch when they encountered a rare sight: a flock of 17 red ...