Red Crossbills have been showing up in many states recently, including Wisconsin, Ohio and even central California. It's confounding people because it doesn't seem like a winter irruption. Also, the many different subspecies have many different sounds. You can find a wide variety of songs and flight notes by going to www.xeno-canto.org and typing Red Crossbill in the search box. Many of the songs are definitely sweet!  

Maeve Kim
Jericho Center


On Sep 24, 2012, at 8:50 PM, Roy Pilcher wrote:

> If female red crossbills do not sing then this tentative ID does not get  
> out of the starting blocks!  
> I was drawn to this bird by its song while it was perched on a snag with  
> the morning sun coming from behind it at about 45 degrees.  The squat shape  
> of the bird with a deep notched tail and the lemonny/yellow color said "red  
> crossbill female".  The bird took of spiraling heavenward in a  half circle 
> in order to make the upper canopy of a grove of white pines.
> The song was sweet, without the jarring and guttural sounds that the  
> Smithsonian recordings generally indicate for red crossbill although one of the  
> recordings is somewhat sweeter.  The flight call was a series of  "tsinks" 
> to my ears!
> Any thoughts would be helpful.  
> I have not entered "it" on the report of birds seen today at Kent  Pond. 
> 
> Kent Pond,  Rutland, US-VT
> Sep 24, 2012 8:10 AM - 10:05 AM
> Protocol: Traveling
> 0.5  mile(s)
> 
> 22  species
> 
> Canada Goose  68     On the  pond.
> Mallard  10
> Blue-winged Teal  6
> Common Loon   2
> Spotted Sandpiper  1
> Belted Kingfisher  1
> Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  1
> Downy Woodpecker  1
> Hairy Woodpecker   1
> Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
> Pileated Woodpecker   1
> Eastern Phoebe  1
> Blue Jay  42     Mostly  moving south in small flocks, largest was 15.
> American Crow  5
> Common  Raven  2
> Black-capped Chickadee  5
> Tufted Titmouse   1
> Gray Catbird  2
> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
> Song  Sparrow  4
> White-throated Sparrow  3
> American Goldfinch   4
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Roy Pilcher
> The Gables at East Mountain, Rutland,  Vermont
> 
> Speaking the same language.