White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
Silhouette: Emma Hughes · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyFringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
- GenusLoxia (Crossbills)
- SpeciesLoxia leucoptera (White-winged Crossbill)
About the White-winged Crossbill
The two-barred crossbill or white-winged crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in the coniferous forests of North America and the Palearctic. The two-barred crossbill was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the crossbills in the genus Loxia and coined the binomial name Loxia leucoptera. Gmelin specified the locality as Hudson Bay and New York. The specific epithet leucoptera is from Ancient Greek leukopteros meaning "white-winged" (leukos means "white" and pteron means "wing"). Gmelin based his account on the "white winged crossbill" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham had examined a specimen in the Leverian Museum in London.
Two subspecies are recognised: L. l. bifasciata (Brehm, CL, 1827) – north Europe to east Siberia and northeast China L. l. leucoptera Gmelin, JF, 1789 – Alaska, Canada and north USA The two-barred crossbill is 14.5–17 cm (5.7–6.7 in) in length... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of White-winged Crossbill in Banff National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Banff National Park
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
Pine Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleator
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Leucosticte tephrocotis
Cassin's Finch
Haemorhous cassinii
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
Evening Grosbeak
Hesperiphona vespertina
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Brambling
Fringilla montifringilla
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a White-winged Crossbill in Banff National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-winged Crossbill sighting in Banff National Park, based on 1,132 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White-winged Crossbill in Banff National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for White-winged Crossbill in Banff National Park in our monthly data.