Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostra (Linnaeus, 1758)

		male female juvenile
2014-05-01 Seminskiy Pass, Altai Republic. 2014-04-07 Shushensky rayon. Krasnoyarsky Kray.2012-05-06 Seminskiy Pass, Altai Republic.	© Sergey Pisarevskiy © Sergey Chumakov© Sergey Pisarevskiy

Biology

Common resident in mountains and rare vagrant on plains where may be found in autumn, winter and spring. Inhabits the spruce and fir forests, but on dispersal visits the deciduous forests and tree planting in urban areas. The breeding season is adapted to the time of ripening of the cones of main coniferous trees. In Altai pairs are formed in mid-February – mid-March, the nest with three incubated eggs was found in April 24, 1958; three fledglings with female were observed in April 24, 1981. Dispersal begins in early August, in winter migrates in flocks of 5-15 birds. In Tien Shan (Zailiyskiy Alatau) pairs are formed in end of June - July. Breeds in separate pairs, at distance at least 50-70 m one from another (when population is numerous). Nest is built by female (male escort her) on branch of spruce at height 8-14 m above the ground; nest is from the thin spruce twigs and thick layer of green moss (rare of lichen) with some dry grass and bast. Clutch of 3-5 eggs is laid in end of July to mid-September, but the later clutches are probably the re-nesting. Female incubates clutch 15-16 days. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge at age 16-19 days old. As soon as juveniles become independent birds disperse in flocks. Some observations in Terskey Alatau show that Crossbill breeds in winter (nest with eggs was found in January 27, 1964 at 2300 m).

References