Painted

1912

Published

1932

Volume

9

Plate

522

Whitewing Crossbill

Loxia leucoptera

Soft twittering from cedars in the old buckwheat lot, altered my course. I thot there were Redpolls breakfasting but a flash of red and white changed that. WHITEWING CROSSBILLS! A cheery undertone was audible and several bars of a melodious, soft song drifted on the misty February air — males practising the Spring love notes. They remained about half an hour and then flew over the hill. Neither before nor after have I seen another. A half hour's acquaintance is a good record, tho, for they are gypsies which elude all but the lucky.

BREEDING

RANGE

Northern North America from Alaska to Greenland and northern tier of United States.

Balsam Fir

Abies balsamea

A 40–60-foot tree distributed thru Canadian provinces south in northern United States from New England to Minnesota.

whitewing-crossbill