Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernSeeds

ForestCup nestSmall · 53 g

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 3 — Photo: (c) Andrejus Gaidamavičius, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 4 — Photo: no rights reserved · CC0

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 5 — Photo: (c) Julien Renoult, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 6 — Photo: no rights reserved · CC0

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 7 — Photo: no rights reserved · CC0

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 8 — Photo: (c) Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 9 — Photo: (c) Fred Derks, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus), photo 10 — Photo: no rights reserved · CC0

What the Parrot Crossbill sounds like

Sonogram of the Parrot Crossbill: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Teet Sirotkin · Flight call · N Ekkerøy, Vadsø, Finnmark, Norway · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Max Karlsson · Call, song · Värmdö, Stockholms län, Sweden · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Jochem verweij · Call, flight call · Zuid-Hollands Landschap (near Hook of Holland), Government of Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation. This species is difficult to separate from red and Scottish crossbills, and plumage distinctions are negligible. It is slightly larger than other crossbills, measuring 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and spanning 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in) across the wings. It is quite bulky and heavy weighing from 44 to 58.2 g (1.55 to 2.05 oz), with an average of 53 g (1.9 oz). The head and bill are larger than in either of the other species.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Parrot Crossbill

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Parrot Crossbill

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 13 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Sweden Norway Finland Belgium United Kingdom Denmark Germany Estonia Netherlands Russia Poland Latvia Lithuania

Recorded as a rare visitor in France, Iceland.

About the Parrot Crossbill

The parrot crossbill is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in pine forests in northern and northeastern Europe.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Cassia CrossbillLoxia sinesciurisThe Cassia crossbill shares many physical features with the red crossbill and all of its different call types.

Hispaniolan CrossbillLoxia megaplagaThe Hispaniolan crossbill is about 15 to 16 cm (5.9 to 6.3 in) long and weighs about 28 g (0.99 oz).

Scottish CrossbillLoxia scoticaVoice: The calls can be distinguished by sonograms.

Side by side: Parrot Crossbill vs Red Crossbill · Parrot Crossbill vs Two-barred Crossbill

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