Red Crossbills are breeding now! But which type breed in the state? Photo by Ryan Brady.
Many species of northern finches, such as redpolls, siskins, crossbills, and grosbeaks, are irruptive, that is, they stage irregular movements from year to year in and out of certain areas, especially during the non-breeding season. In some years they may be present across portions of Wisconsin in large numbers, while in others they’re hard to find. Following winters with high numbers, several of these species remain to breed in the state. In 2018, two species are present that demand our attention — the Pine Siskin and Red Crossbill. We should be looking for breeding behaviors now!
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin. Photo by Nick Anich.
Pine Siskins are well known for their erratic movements. While typically associated with coniferous or mixed deciduous–coniferous forests, they should be looked and listened for everywhere in Wisconsin right now because of the large overwintering population we had in winter 2017–2018.
Region: Most abundant in the northern third of the state and down the Lake Michigan shore, but possible breeder anywhere. eBird Range Map
WBBA I Breeding Range – Pine Siskin
Time of Year: Pine Siskins can be an early breeder, and may be on eggs by late March and April, with young fledging as soon as early April. Core breeding activity may vary, though, and occur as late as June. In general the unpredictability of their movements and breeding phenology makes it difficult to know exactly what Pine Siskins are up to at any given moment, so now is the time to start looking!
Breeding Guideline Bar Chart: (Full chart is on atlas handbook webpage)
Time of Day: No special instructions. As with many birds, early morning hours are usually best.
Focal Habitat: Coniferous or mixed deciduous–coniferous forest. They often seek seeds from alder or birch, conifer cones, or grasses. They will readily come to bird feeders, and breeding in suburban habitats is not out of the question.
Special Methods: None, though atlasers should be in tune with adult flight calls and identification of the many streaky-brown juvenile bird species out there.
Code Guidance: As with many species, confirmations are most likely to come via CN, NB, FY, and FL codes. Beware of widely-dispersing family groups (i.e. across block lines) during the post-breeding period.
Other Species: None notable; Pine Siskins can occur in a variety of habitats.
Confusing Species: The primary confusion species by call would be American Goldfinch or Common Redpoll (soon to be heading north, not a breeder). By sight, resembles other brown streaky passerines like House and Purple Finches or sparrows. Best separated by slightly smaller size, shorter tail, narrow pointed bill, and traces of yellow in wing of adult birds, though the latter can be difficult to see in some individuals. Identification of juvenile birds should be made with caution and rely on body/bill structure and associating adults.
More information about Pine Siskins:
All About Birds
Birds of North America Account (subscription required)
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill. Photo by Ryan Brady.
Red Crossbills are an uncommon breeder in Wisconsin with complex taxonomy. Not only are they irruptive, there are as many as 10 distinct types, each with their own food type preferences and distinctive call notes! Occasionally Red Crossbills irrupt into Wisconsin and are more widespread during nesting season — but which types actually breed here? We need the Atlas to help answer that, especially given each type may one day become different species.
Region: Most abundant in the northern tier of the state, but possible breeder in conifers anywhere. eBird Range Map
WBBA I Breeding Range – Red Crossbill
Time of Year: Red Crossbills are an early breeder, with several atlasers already reporting fledglings in mid-April 2015 and breeding activity wrapping up by July.
Breeding Guideline Bar Chart: (Full chart is on atlas handbook webpage)
Time of Day: No special instructions. As with many birds, early morning hours are usually best.
Focal Habitat: Focus on landscapes with lots of conifers. The most consistently occupied landscapes are pine barrens on sandy soils with jack and red pine. Some types prefer white pine, hemlock, or spruce, so keep your eyes and ears open when in conifer landscapes. Stands with heavy cone production are favored for foraging.
Special Methods: Red Crossbills are often more easily heard than seen, so study their songs and call notes. They are also fond of sitting on roads picking at grit. Look for brown and streaky-breasted juveniles among the more colorful adults.
In order to confirm which Red Crossbill Types occur and breed in the state, we are seeking audio recordings of call notes! Recordings can be made by any method. Many smartphones now are able to record audio or video, as well as digital cameras, digital voice recorders, or an old fashioned tape recorder and microphone. Anything that can record Red Crossbill vocalizations is sufficient, even relatively poor recordings or videos of a few call notes. Once the recording is obtained, upload it to your eBird checklist, and send the link to Matt Young at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, may6@cornell.edu. He is studying Red Crossbills and will identify the type for you, if the recording allows for such.
After he confirms the type, enter it into the Atlas to type.
If you didn’t put the recording in yet, you can access the Red Crossbill types from the Add Species menu:
If you already entered the audio into your checklist, you can change the entry to Type level, and you won’t even have to re-enter your audio. Open up the checklist and choose “Edit Species List”. You can change it from plain Red Crossbill to the type by choosing “Change Species” to the right of the species. Start typing the words red crossbill and a list of the types (such as Red Crossbill (Type 2) ) will come up. When prompted to provide comments to validate the sighting, indicate that the identification to type was made by Matt Young at Cornell based on a recording you obtained.
Code Guidance: As with many species, confirmations are most likely to come via CN, NB, FY, and FL codes. Beware of widely-dispersing family groups (i.e. across block lines) during the post-breeding period.
Other Species: Birds of interest near Red Crossbills are those of pine barrens and boreal forests and may include Connecticut Warbler, Common Nighthawk, Kirtland’s Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Spruce Grouse, and other denizens of these habitats.
Confusing Species: Other red finches including White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch, and House Finch are possible candidates for confusion. In many cases, you will see Red Crossbills in groups, with both reddish and yellowish-green birds present. The crossed mandible may or may not be apparent, depending on your viewing angle. The extent of the crossing may also be reduced in recently fledged birds. Juvenile plumage can be variable, but juveniles are generally very streaky and less colorful than adults. Compare the adult female and juvenile in this gallery for reference.
More information about Red Crossbills:
All About Birds
Birds of North America Account (subscription required)