White-winged Crossbill

Bird Graphic

White-winged Crossbill -
(Loxia leucoptera)

Audio

Identification

Small songbird with crossed bill
Male reddish pink; greyish below with
dusky streaks; wings with two bold
white bars
Notched black tail
Female mottled dull olive green or
yellowish with dusky streaks
Dark wings with wingbars
6-7" (15-17 cm.)

Habitat

Conifer swamp, spruce and tamarack stands

Additional Information

Uncommon migrant, rare winter resident
Eats seeds from cones
Local populations vary based on cone
abundance
Breeds at various times of year,
including winter
Only occasionally found on the Reserve

Comparable Species

Red Crossbill

Female white-winged crossbill sitting at top of spruce tree

Male White-winged Crossbill on top of snow covered spruce

The Kickapoo Reserve Management Board acknowledges that the state and federal lands that comprise the Reserve fall within the ancestral homelands of First Nations people including the Hooçak Nation. We recognize the sovereignty of the Hooçak and other First Nations and will work towards a shared future by continuing to create collaborative opportunities to protect and preserve these lands.

Kickapoo Valley Reserve | S3661 State Highway 131 | La Farge, Wisconsin 54639
Phone: 608-625-2960 | FAX: 608-625-2962
kickapoo.reserve@krm.state.wi.us