Swarovski 80HD Nikon CP4500

Habitat	Female	Male

Crossbill

Loxia curvirostra 16.5cm

Although not common, Crossbills are regular winter visitors to Staffordshire, where they can be seen in noisy roaming flocks at locations like Cannock Chase, where there are plenty of the mixed conifer woodlands favoured by these colourful finches.

The crossbills distinctive beak is specially adapted for prising pine cones apart and gives them a rather parrot like appearance.

The featured birds were all part of the same feeding party that crossed the path we were walking along. The birds shift from tree to tree as they forage and seem fairly tolerant of human presence. After staying within digiscoping range for 3-4 minutes the entire group suddenly took off and disappeared into a nearby coppice.