Loxia
Sign in to saveCrossbills are birds of the genus Loxia within the finch family (Fringillidae), with six extant and one extinct species. These birds are characterized by their mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in color, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.
AI overview
Loxia is a genus of finches known as crossbills, named for their distinctive crossed-tip beaks that allow them to extract seeds from conifer cones. These colorful birds—typically red or orange in males and green or yellow in females—are found across the Northern Hemisphere and are of interest to ornithologists for their specialized feeding adaptations and geographic variations.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyFringillidae
via GBIF · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Carduelinae
- Image
- Loxia curvirostra2.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- P105
- genus
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Systematics and evolution
- Feeding behavior
- Fossil record
- References
- External links
Crossbills are birds of the genus Loxia within the finch family (Fringillidae), with six extant and one extinct species. These birds are characterized by their mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in color, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.
Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They irrupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.