Male Cassia Crossbills are medium-sized finches with red-orange bodies, a large, dark bill, and gray-brown wings. Females have a more grayish-green body and yellow bellies.
Juveniles are like females but with clear streaks across their bodies.
- Loxia sinesciuris
- Length: 7.09-7.87 in (18–20 cm)
- Weight: 1.0-1.6 oz (28-44 g)
- Wingspan: 3.35-3.93 in (8.5–10 cm)
Range
You can find Cassia Crossbill year-round in the lodgepole pine forests of southern Idaho. They never leave this area because there are no red squirrels here to compete against them for the cones.
Habitat And Diet
Cassia Crossbills primarily feed on lodgepole pine seeds. Their large bills are perfect for cracking hard shells. They hang from cones and branches to get at the seeds or forage through the fallen cones on the ground. They may also eat insects and caterpillars.
Cassia Crossbill Call:
Nests
Nests of Cassia Crossbill are found on branches about 20 meters off the ground. They are cup-shaped nests made of twigs, moss, grass, and pine needles.
Females will lay around six eggs that will hatch after about two weeks.
Fun Fact:
The species name of this crossbill, sinesciurus, means “without squirrels.”
