White-winged Crossbill Similar Species Comparison

Adult male

Medium-sized stocky finch with a crisscrossed bill. Adult males are bright red with a black tail and wings marked by 2 bold white wingbars.

Female

Stocky finch with a crisscrossed bill. Females are yellowish with streaks on the back and belly. They also have 2 bold white wingbars, though one wingbar is often concealed.

Adult female and male

Uses the crisscrossed bill to separate the scales on the pine cone and extract the seeds.

Immature male

Immature males are patchy red and yellow with dark wings marked by 2 bold white wingbars.

Juvenile

Juveniles are heavily streaked above and below with 2 white wingbars.

Male and female

Adult male

Wanders nomadically across the boreal forest in search of cone crops, sometimes turning up much farther south during the nonbreeding season.

Female

Female

Adult male

Adult male

Habitat

Found in evergreen forests, especially those with large crops of spruce and tamarack.