The crossbill is a forest songbird from the finch family. Spruce crossbill: description, lifestyle
The message about the crossbill for children can be used by students in preparation for the lesson. The story about the crossbill for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.
Report on crossbill
The crossbill is a unique taiga bird, the size of a sparrow. Crossbills are common in coniferous forests throughout the northern hemisphere.
The color of the breast in males is red-crimson, and in females it is greenish-gray. The wings and tails of crossbills turn brownish-gray.
The crossbill has an unusual beak structure: the lower and upper parts are curved in different directions. This beak is specially adapted to extract seeds from cones. But hookedness appears only in adult birds.
Crossbills can hatch chicks at very different times of the year. It would seem that the squeaking of chicks and the singing of a blizzard are incompatible sounds. However, crossbills often hatch in winter or early spring. It's all about the food. Crossbills feed mainly on the seeds of coniferous trees. And the time of their nesting is associated with the seed harvest.
Crossbills build nests in dense branches at the top of a spruce tree. The nests are double, like window frames, to keep the nest warm, since crossbills hatch their chicks in the most severe winter frosts. When it is very cold outside, the chicks are warmed by a living stove - the mother, and fuel (food) is supplied by the father.
What does crossbill eat?
The crossbill eats the seeds of cones. During their existence, crossbills have learned to deal with cones very deftly - after all, in a short winter day, an adult bird must extract up to 2000 small spruce seeds just for itself.
The crossbill feeds additionally, especially during the period of cone crop failure, on the buds of spruce and pine, gnawing off the protruding resin on the branches along with the bark, seeds of larch, maple, ash, insects and aphids. In captivity, he does not refuse mealworms, oatmeal, rowan, millet, sunflower and hemp.
There are legends about this bird. You may not believe the legends, but the unusual nature of these small birds, the size of a large sparrow, is interesting to any person who is not indifferent to the natural world.
The bird is small, up to 20 cm, belonging to the passerine order, with a dense build, a forked tail and an unusual beak. Its halves are bent and diverge in different directions, resulting in a cross. With such a beak it is ideal to remove seeds from cones. Nature has adapted it well to obtaining its own food.
Bird of Christ
During the severe torment of Christ on the crucifixion, a bird flew to Jesus and with its beak tried to pull the nails out of his body. But the fearless little one had very little strength, only disfiguring her beak and staining her breast with blood. The Lord thanked the intercessor by endowing her with unusual properties. It was a crossbill, and Its unusualness lies in three things:
- cross-shaped beak;
- being born at Christmas;
- incorruptibility.
Description
The tenacity of its paws allows the bird to climb trees, hanging upside down from a pine cone. The breast color of males is crimson, while that of females is greenish-gray. The tails and wings of birds turn gray-brown. The singing of crossbills with high notes resembles chirping mixed with whistling. This is observed during flights. On the branches, the birds are silent.
Highlight several species of birds, three of which are main and live in the vastness of Russia:
- Whitewing;
- Pine crossbill.
They are similar in habitat and diet. The names are intertwined with the characteristics of the species in the choice of coniferous forest species and the presence of white feathers.
The ancestors of modern crossbills are quite ancient, they are 7-9 million years old. The main population of crossbills originated in the coniferous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Their resettlement directly depends on the yield of cones, which are the main food for birds. That’s why crossbills live both in the tundra and in forest-steppes and make long flights to places rich in food. There have been cases when they were found 2000 km from their nesting sites.
In Russia they live in pine and spruce forests in mountainous areas in the southern regions of the country, in the northwest. The bird can be found in forests dominated by spruce trees. Spruce crossbills do not live in cedar forests. The bird has practically no enemies. This is explained simply: due to the consumption of coniferous seeds, birds embalm themselves during life and become too bitter for predators. After natural death, they become mummified, which is facilitated by their body containing a high content of pine resins.
Crossbills fly well, but it is impossible to say that the crossbill is a migratory or sedentary bird. The crossbill is more likely a representative of nomadic birds. The migration of birds is closely related to the harvest. In areas rich in food, birds endlessly climbing trees, fortunately, the shape of the crossbill’s beak makes it possible to do this without difficulty, like parrots. It is for this skill and the bright color of their feathers that they received the name “northern parrots”. They almost never descend to the ground, and they feel great on branches even if they turn over.
Nutrition
It would be wrong to think that the crossbill feeds only on the seeds of conifer cones, although they are its main food. The bird's beak tears off the scales, exposing the seeds, but only a third of the cone is used for food. The bird leaves hard-to-reach grains, making it easier for it to find another cone. The excess flies to the ground and becomes food for mice or squirrels, as well as for other forest inhabitants.
The crossbill can additionally feed on the buds of spruce or pine, especially in the case of a shortage of cones; it chews off the protruding resin along with the bark of trees, as well as other seeds, insects and aphids. In captivity, he does not disdain mealworms, oatmeal, rowan, hemp and sunflower seeds.
Reproduction
Crossbill chicks, unlike other birds, appear in winter, often at Christmas, like the grace of the Almighty, according to legend. Food reserves contribute to this. The female builds a nest at the top of coniferous trees or under the cover of spreading branches from rain and snow. The construction of nests begins with the first frosts and is done taking into account all the harsh tests: with a warm lining of moss, animal hair, lichens, and bird feathers.
The walls of the nest boast strength: the woven twigs create several layers, internal and external. The nest is often equated to a thermos in terms of maintaining a constant temperature environment. In winter, the crossbill, despite the frosts, is quite active to provide for its offspring.
Incubation of a clutch of 3-4 eggs lasts on average 15 days. During this time, the male takes care of the female in every possible way, feeding her with seeds softened in the crop. Chicks already leave their nest from 5-20 days of life. Their beak is straight at first, so the parents spend a month feeding the young.
When the beak takes its shape, the chicks begin to master the science of extracting seeds from cones and, together with the new beak, begin to live independently. The crossbill chick does not immediately have beautiful colored plumage. At first its color is gray with spots. Only after a year has passed do the birds change their clothes to adult ones.
The crossbill is unusually interesting and socially active. They quickly get used to life in changing conditions. trusting and sociable. They constantly move around the cage and can get out of it, showing ingenuity. The owners of many birds know what the crossbill-spruce mockingbird is like: it easily imitates the heard voices of other birds.
In ancient times, traveling musicians taught crossbills to get lucky tickets or take part in fortune telling. Easy training in simple actions turns birds into pets. If a crossbill lives in a cage without proper nutrition and ambient temperature, it loses its crimson coloring, turns pale, and then dies. Keeping birds in conditions that suit them helps ensure that their bright colors remain unchanged and they live up to 10 years. Birds breed successfully in captivity if acceptable nesting conditions are met.
Fans of breeding new breeds of birds strive to achieve a variety of color and vocal variants, so it becomes clear how the crossbill suddenly acquires the voice of a canary or the clothes of a bullfinch. Studying and selecting crossbills is a fascinating activity that brings the joy of communicating with these ancient birds of nature.
Characteristics of the bird
Let's start with the fact that the crossbill bird belongs to the second category of rarity and is listed in the Red Book of Moscow. The bird belongs to the order Passeriformes, the genus Crossbills, and the family Finches. The following species lives in our country: Spruce Crossbill. The crossbill is a songbird that feeds on conifer seeds. He himself is slightly larger than a sparrow, but smaller than a starling. Its distinctive characteristic is the peculiar structure of its beak; it is distinguished by its power, and its mandible and mandible are crossed, and sharp ends protrude from the sides. The crossbill, like the parrot, uses its beak to climb trees. The bird feeds on the seeds of spruce and other coniferous trees, which is where the name of the Russian species comes from. The bird weighs about 50 g and its body length is 17 cm.
Color and nutrition of crossbills
The color of males is red on top, even red-crimson, and the lower part of the abdomen is grayish-white. The females are greenish-gray, the feathers at the edges are yellow-green. First-year males are orange-yellow in color, and their tail and wings are brown. And young females are gray with speckles. Crossbills have a large head and tenacious paws, with the help of which they are suspended from cones and hang upward with their tail, which is deeply cut and short. But nutrition affects why crossbills hatch chicks in winter. But more on that a little later. They feed on coniferous seeds; in addition, they eat sunflower seeds, weeds, and sometimes insects.
Crossbill bird lifestyle
This bird is diurnal, quite active and noisy. She flies quickly using a wavy trajectory. When a flock of crossbills flies, they call to each other and make “kep-kap-kap” sounds. They have one peculiar feature. Since the harvest of coniferous seeds is not constant, the seasonal phenomena of birds are also inconsistent. They can at any time leave a place where there is no cone harvest and migrate to a more productive area. And this is another reason why crossbills hatch their chicks in winter.
Crossbill nesting
Crossbills nest mainly in coniferous areas of the forest. Birds' nests are located on large spruce trees (less often on pine trees), and a horizontal branch is used, located further from the trunk. If the spruce is small, then the nest will be next to the trunk. The nest itself is two-layered, the outer one contains moss, dry thin spruce branches and lichen. But the inner layer is thin stems, feathers, wool and the same moss. There are 3-4 eggs in the clutch; they are greenish-blue in color, less often white with brown spots. Nesting periods are quite extended. This could be January and February, March and April, and even May. After 15-16 days, chicks appear and are fed by their parents for 17-20 days.
Why do crossbills hatch chicks in winter?
When cold weather comes, our forests become empty.
Most of the birds migrate south, and we think they are afraid of frost. But the fact is that birds fly after their food. But crossbills do not need to do this; their main food remains in place and it ripens in the fall, remaining in the cones all winter. And this type of bird nests only if there is an abundance of food. This is the answer to the question of why crossbills hatch chicks in winter. Mostly the male brings food, and the female warms the nest. But sometimes she also leaves her house for a while, leaving the chicks alone. But this is not scary for them: good downy plumage, resistance to frost and, of course, closeness to each other help.
is a beautiful, songbird that usually lives in the forest. Its closest relatives are sparrows. The crossbill is slightly larger than the sparrow, does not exceed 17 cm in length, and weighs about 50 grams. It is easily recognized by its characteristic strong beak, the upper and lower parts of which cross each other. No other bird has such a beak.
They need such a cunning beak to climb trees and get cone seeds. Birds have a large, rough tongue, which also helps them in obtaining seeds. This is their favorite treat. Therefore, crossbills inhabit coniferous or mixed forests, where there are many spruce trees. Crossbills are not found in cedar forests. They also eat insects, pine and spruce buds, and other seeds, such as sunflowers. Sometimes the crossbill eats the resin that protrudes from under the bark of coniferous trees. There are species of crossbills that specialize in spruce, pine or larch trees.
The bird is active during the day and flies very quickly. It practically does not descend to the ground; it spends all its time on branches. Crossbills often fly from one place to another in search of forests where there are many cones. This is a nomadic bird. Their numbers may vary from year to year depending on the cone harvest. The crossbill has very tenacious paws, so it can hang upside down and get to the seeds this way. From the cones, the crossbill takes out those seeds that are easiest to get to. The rest is thrown to the ground, which makes mice and squirrels very happy.
The plumage of males is brighter, red, only gray on the abdomen. The older the bird, the brighter its plumage. Females are paler, gray-green in color. The wings of birds and their tail are colored brown.
Crossbills build nests close to each other and lay up to five blue-shelled eggs. Chicks usually appear in winter, so crossbills build very warm nests, lining them with moss and feathers. There is enough food for these birds in winter. The chicks have a straight beak and cannot get their own food, so they live with their parents for up to 2 months. The young are gray with spots. Bright plumage appears only on one-year-old birds.
- songbird. They often chirp and whistle, calling to each other. They can also imitate the singing of other birds. Because of their beautiful voice, crossbills are sometimes kept in captivity. This is a trusting and sociable bird that quickly gets used to humans and can live in a cage for up to ten years. In nature, crossbills have virtually no enemies. This is all due to the fact that crossbills eat a lot of resin, which they literally become saturated with and become bitter and tasteless to predators.
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Many people today increasingly want to have an exotic and unusual animal or bird in their home. In this regard, many questions arise: what do they eat, how to provide comfortable conditions for their maintenance and reproduction. This article will talk about a small but very cute bird called “crossbill”, which takes root surprisingly well in captivity.
Brief description
To better understand the nuances of keeping this bird, you first need to find out who it is crossbill and how it behaves in its natural habitat. 
This representative of the Finch family is densely built, has fairly long wings and short legs, on which strong toes are well defined. Characteristic features of the external image are a crossed beak (the upper and lower parts are curved) and a short tail, divided in two.
The feathers of adult males are crimson-red or red-orange in color, and a brown tint is noticeable on the front of the back. At the same time, females are distinguished by a completely different color palette: their feathers are gray-green, with a characteristic yellowish tint. The wings of all representatives of the species are brown, and in young birds the predominant color is dark olive with numerous streaks.
Full color formation ends closer to the 3rd year of life. By this time, the body length of the crossbill is approximately 14–20 cm and weighs 50 g. 
Ornithologists conditionally divide all birds into three main types: spruce crossbill (a common and frequently encountered representative), pine crossbill (distinguished by its relatively large size, large head and beak) and small white-winged crossbill, the color of which is predominantly pink, and large stripes of white color are clearly visible on the wings (found in taiga and North America).
To settle in natural conditions, these small birds choose coniferous and mixed forests, while avoiding cedar plantations. Crossbills build nests on the tops of trees, where they can reach either by air or simply by moving along the tree trunk, clinging to the bark with their claws. 
The main component of their diet is the seeds of coniferous and sometimes deciduous trees, although they will not refuse various insects. A strong curved beak helps them open the scales of the cone and get the seeds.
Did you know? Crossbills eat only a quarter of the seeds from the cones, after which they throw them away and move on to other, half-opened specimens.
Choosing and arranging a home
When setting up their homes in trees, birds use small branches of spruce and other species, placing them between the branches. 
For home breeding, they are sufficiently suitable for keeping crossbills. spacious metal cages(2.2×1×1.25 m) and open enclosures (2.5×3×2 m). If the space allows you, you can make them even larger or install them directly in the garden.
In a warm room you can place a large aviary, in which food for the birds will also be prepared. Do not forget to regularly place branches of coniferous trees (especially spruce) inside.
In addition to small indoor enclosures, crossbills can be kept together with other birds you have (for example, bullfinches, siskins, bramblings, etc.). They also get along well with insectivorous birds.
Feeders and drinking bowls should be placed around the perimeter of the inner enclosure.
Important! If your site has space for a large “walking” aviary, then for birds to bathe and drink, you can build concrete pools equipped with a tap and drain hole, which will allow you to regularly change the water.
Features of home care
Considering that crossbills are wild birds, they need a sufficient amount of activity, so it is advisable to take care of their daily “walking” (a fenced area with a net stretched over the top is ideal for these purposes). It is also important to provide birds with a regular, varied diet and promptly clean their cages of feces.
What to feed
In addition to fir cones, which the described representatives of birds simply adore, can be added to their diet regular grain mixture, berries (for example, rowan), pine and regular nuts, but it’s better to split them a little first. To diversify the menu of your pets, you can get pine or spruce buds, especially if the pine cones are available in limited quantities. In captivity, the bird does not disdain oatmeal, mealworms, sunflower or hemp seeds.
How many years do they live in captivity?
Their easy ability to learn simple actions, as well as a fairly high life expectancy, made it possible to turn wild birds into pets. Given suitable housing conditions and appropriate nutrition, crossbills can live in captivity for up to 10 years.
Evidence of the full development of birds is their bright crimson color, but as soon as it turns pale, it’s time to be alarmed, since further rapid death of the bird is quite likely.
Did you know? All crossbills are highly frost-resistant and in natural conditions are able to hatch offspring even at –30 °C, and the white-winged representatives can sing even at –50 °C.
Do they produce offspring in captivity?
Knowing what the crossbill looks like and where it lives, you can easily catch it with a net, but it’s good if you immediately come across a pair that will later produce offspring. Unlike other representatives of birds, crossbill chicks hatch in winter (usually at Christmas), which is facilitated by good food supplies. In captivity, the natural cycle of their reproduction does not stop, however, only if the pets are provided with all the conditions for nesting. 
Responsible owners who are truly interested in increasing the number of crossbills in their home, enclosures have been preparing for breeding since the fall: the soil is treated and disinfected, and trees and shrubs are partially replaced.
At the end of winter, the enclosure must have fresh pine and spruce branches, which should be updated regularly. In addition, in addition to them, several different designs of nesting bases are placed in the enclosures (it is better if they are wire: crossbills occupy them more actively).
All nests must be placed in branches (pine or spruce) with which the walls of the enclosure are densely covered. The floor should be covered with forest soil in advance, allowing it to become overgrown with dandelions, thistles and nettles. From trees, in addition to spruce and various types of thuja, you can plant elderberry and small pine trees (of course, this is only if you are setting up an enclosure in an open area, say, on the territory of a summer house).
The owner of crossbills can himself contribute to the beginning of the breeding season of birds. All that is needed is to diversify the feeding, increase the portions of food and provide the birds with “building material” in late February - early March. 
Spruce or birch branches, reed leaves, dry leaves, jute, coconut fiber and even animal wool are perfect for the role of the latter. All this can be placed in a wire container with large holes, and materials that are too rough can simply be left on the ground.
Did you know? In the old days, crossbills were used by traveling musicians in their performances. They could get “lucky tickets” and even took part in fortune telling.
Usually birds look for a mate on their own, which is very important for the successful reproduction of birds. When kept together, such married couples begin to form in the fall, and if there are extra individuals left (without a pair), then they can be given to other breeders.
At the beginning of the “mating season,” male crossbills begin to sing their songs much louder, while females more actively beg for food from them, fluttering their small wings. At the end of winter (starting from the second half of February), both partners move on to building a nest. Most often, the male is engaged in creating the foundation of the future home, and the female lines the tray. The result is a thick-walled nest, which is largely due to the winter breeding season. The common crossbill lays about 4 eggs at a time, although in rare cases there may only be 3 eggs in the nest. If there are already 2 eggs, the female sits on the nest and leaves it only for a short time to drink or defecate.
At this time, she does not get food for herself, since she is fed by the father of the family. After 15 days of incubation, chicks are born. In the first week of life, they feed exclusively from the female, who in turn receives food from the male. Of course, if there is no harmony in the pair and the male does not bring food, then the entire brood will die.
Important! The nest can only be checked when the bird voluntarily leaves it.
About 7 days after the birth of the offspring, the male begins to feed the chicks together with the female so that the latter can leave the nest more often to search for food. It must be said that the young grow very quickly and after a little more than a week begin to gradually leave the parental nest. 
As soon as this happens, the father proceeds to build a new home, after which the female again lines the tray and begins to lay eggs. From this moment, feeding the chicks that fly out of the nest falls entirely on the shoulders of the male, and after 6–7 weeks they become completely independent and ready for adult life.
In order not to overload the birds, after the 3rd brood it is better to remove all nests and nesting material. A new cycle can begin as early as next season.
Despite the fact that the described birds are suitable for keeping at home, they remain wild birds, which means they must live in the wild. If you still want to get such pets, then take the trouble to create for them all the conditions for a full life, because otherwise they will start to get sick and quickly die.
