white-winged crossbill

bird

Also known as: Loxia leucoptera, two-barred crossbill

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

The white-winged crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) is a bird species belonging to the finch family, known for its distinctive crossed mandibles. These specialized bills allow the bird to extract seeds from conifer cones.1

The white-winged crossbill is found in the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is particularly fond of spruce trees. It is known to wander widely in search of food and may even nest during winter if a good cone crop is found. A unique variety of this species also inhabits the pine forests of Hispaniola. Both sexes of the white-winged crossbill have two white bars on their wings.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

crossbill
The spruce-loving white-winged crossbill (L. leucoptera) occurs throughout the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It wanders widely, but when it finds a good crop of cones, it may nest there, even in midwinter. An isolated variety of the species lives in the pine forests of Hispaniola.…
Read More
The spruce-loving white-winged crossbill (L. leucoptera) occurs throughout the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It wanders widely, but when it finds a good crop of cones, it may nest there, even in midwinter. An isolated variety of the species lives in the pine forests of Hispaniola.…
Read More