Tag Archives: red crossbill range

Groucho Crossbill

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Groucho Crossbill – Unlike their White-winged cousins which generally remain high in the crowns of conifers, Red Crossbills such as this female often forage on the ground. Prior to our study, Red Crossbills were absent from three of the four Alaska Peninsula checklists I was able to find and were listed only as an “accidental” (very rare or one-time occurrence) on one list – the Izembek National Wildlife Reserve list. However, the species became somewhat regular wintertime visitors at The Lake in our years there, due of course to the maturation of transplanted Sitka Spruce trees and a succession of years of abundant cone production. As these trees are now beginning to reproduce on their own, it can be expected that various finch species will expand their range down the peninsula.
I’m making progress with the Chignik Lake photos, finally well into the 2018 folder.
Chignik Lake, January 17, 2018.