I think of Red Crossbills as pretty rare birds around Rocky Mountain National Park, but this summer, the seed crop has been good and the Red Crossbills have been plentiful. They are such a unique bird with a large crossed bill that helps them pry open pine seeds from the cone. There are 11 subspecies of crossbill (each with a specialized bill and unique call), but these are most likely "call-type 2." They specialize in eating hard cones like Ponderosa and sometimes Lodgepole pine. Here are some of my favorite photos from this summer. Notice how the male is reddish, females are yellowish, first year males have both red and yellow, and juveniles have more streaking. Another fascinating tidbit about these birds is that they tend to nest in late summer or even winter when the cones have matured enough to pry open. Enjoy!
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