A (Not So Very) Red Crossbill at Lava Beds National Monument

Continuing a short series around the campground water faucet, we are showing off the Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). These are the birds who were making use of the only secure source of water in Lava Beds National Monument (there are no surface streams because precipitation sinks into the joints and fissures of the lava flows). The first post of the series featured an American Robin.

I've only seen the Red Crossbill once before, in the White Mountains of eastern California. I didn't recognize these birds at Lava Beds because they were far up the trees and they weren't red (these are juveniles and lack the bright red color), and I couldn't make out the crossed bills. I thought they were some kind of finch (they are actually in the finch family), but a birder in the campground mentioned their identity as he walked by.

The crossbills take their name from their uniquely evolved beak. It looks broken or offset, but it actually allows them to pry open conifer cones, allowing them to reach the seeds inside. They are completely dependent on cones for their survival, so they migrate to places where cones are ripening, and can breed at any time of the year if food is available.

Bird of the Day: Red Crossbill in the Bristlecone Forest

Sometimes you get only a split second. I was wandering near the visitor center for the Bristlecone Pine forest at the 10,000 foot level of the White Mountains east of the Sierra Nevada when I noticed a gentleman with binoculars staring intently at the lower branches of tree. He motioned to me and said "Crossbill!". I looked, lifted my camera, got two shots before even framing and focusing, and it was gone. The only Red Crossbill I've ever seen, and I had all of five seconds to get any pictures.

I was happy to see that both shots came out, and even look kind of good with some judicious cropping. The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is one of the most uniquely adapted birds around. The beak doesn't line up! Looking like a design flaw, it actually allows the bird to pry open pine cones while grabbing the seeds with its tongue.

Crossbills are found across the northern states and in southern Canada, and luckily for me, in the high mountains of California. I hope I get a few additional seconds to frame my pictures next time! Of course, I'll take any excuse to get up to the Bristlecones. The diminutive trees are the oldest living things on the planet, and they live in one of the most challenging environments possible: very dry and bitterly cold for most of the year. If you are ever in the Bishop/Big Pine region, be sure to make some time for the drive up into the White Mountains. There is a lot to see out there!