Holsaeter's Crossbill

Holsaeter's Crossbill, Loxia holsaeterii (LOCK-sih-ah hull-set-TER-e-eye) is a species of crossbill.

Name origin
Genus name Latin, from Greek loxos, crosswise in reference to its crossed mandibles ; species name in reference to a teacher the author knew.

Other names
Wing-barred Crossbill, Devonshire Crossbill, One-barred Crossbill
 * Local Devonshirian name: Pine-nut Cracker

In other languages

 * German/Deutsch: Holsaeter-Kreuzschnabel
 * Spanish/Español: Piquituerto de Holsaeter
 * French/Français: Bec-croisé d'Holsaeter
 * Swedish/Svenska: Holsaeter är korsnäbb
 * Norwegian/Norske: Holsaeter Korsnebb



Description
Length: 6½" (17cm). Bill is c. 1" (2.5cm). Weighs about ¾oz.

Males are bright pink overall with one white  and dark wings, ,   and tail. The female is mottled yellowish-olive with a darker olive-green back. Her wings are dark grey and her tail is dark grey to black, and her rump and crissum are yellow, unlike the males.

Both sexes share these same characteristics: light yellow bills, the flanks closest to the wings are greyish-white and their feet are both dark grey to black.

Similar species
The male resembles a Two-barred Crossbill, however the Holsaeter's has one wing bar. It is rarely found with two wing bars, <1% of the population have two wing bars. The tail is not forked, unlike the other crossbills; however, this might be hard to see when in the field or when the bird is facing the person viewing it.

The female Holsaeter's resembles the Red Crossbill, but red's tail is crossed and her back is "scaled" olive-green.

Scottish Crossbill is only found in northern Britannia and the ranges rarely overlap and lacks the white wingbars. Parrot Crossbill lacks the white wingbars as well.

Pine Grosbeak lacks the crossed bill and is shorter.

Other pink or red finches are smaller.

Hybrids
It very rarely hybridises with the two-barred crossbill. Males are known to hybridise with the Red Crossbill, but this is very rare. It is unknown whether the offspring are sterile or not.

Behaviour
It forms large flocks in the winter.

Diet
Conifer seeds, particularly that of the Devonshire fir (Abies devonshirensis)*. It sometimes insects and spiders.

Is occasionally killed by cars when licking off salt on highways.

Calls
A dry echoing chipp-chipp-chipp, kip-kip-kip, or chiff-chiff-chiff. Nasal twitterings are not uncommon, but hard to hear.

Reproduction
Pairs are monogamous. Their nest is a cup of grass stems and twigs, placed in a small conifer tree

Rarely parasitised by the Brown-headed Cowbird.

Distribution/habitat
It is native to Europa. Found in larch, fir or pine forests.

Based on...
It is based on the Two-barred Crossbill, which is where some of the info came from.