Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill has surged: up 215% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Red Crossbill
The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is a North American member of the Finches (Fringillidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–6.5 in long (11–16 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 790 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 34 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
Notable Red Crossbill Trends
Red Crossbill has surged in surveyed states: up 215% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Red Crossbill Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Red Crossbill is projected to rise about 36% by 2029 — from 0.61 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.83 (95% range 0.33–1.3). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±46.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.80 | 0.30 | 1.3 |
| 2026 | 0.81 | 0.31 | 1.3 |
| 2027 | 0.81 | 0.32 | 1.3 |
| 2028 | 0.82 | 0.33 | 1.3 |
| 2029 | 0.83 | 0.33 | 1.3 |
Where the Red Crossbill Is Detected
BBS routes recording Red Crossbill, sized by most recent count.
Red Crossbill Population Trend by State
| Alabama | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Alaska | -79% | 1987 | 30 |
| Arizona | -17% | 1974 | 20 |
| Arkansas | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| California | +126% | 1971 | 83 |
| Colorado | +161% | 1971 | 74 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | +352% | 1976 | 33 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maine | +243% | 1975 | 21 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Michigan | +51% | 1973 | 34 |
| Minnesota | -82% | 1974 | 21 |
| Montana | +207% | 1971 | 58 |
| Nebraska | -83% | 1984 | 11 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| New Hampshire | +146% | 1971 | 15 |
| New Mexico | -82% | 1977 | 25 |
| New York | -4% | 1974 | 27 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| North Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Oregon | +19% | 1970 | 92 |
| Pennsylvania | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | -5% | 1970 | 19 |
| Tennessee | +338% | 2006 | 4 |
| Utah | -3% | 1989 | 26 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Washington | +62% | 1970 | 78 |
| West Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Wisconsin | +62% | 1970 | 38 |
| Wyoming | +11% | 1970 | 45 |
Red Crossbill Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +80% | 1971 | 131 |
| Great Basin | -25% | 1970 | 76 |
| Northern Rockies | +94% | 1970 | 136 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +90% | 1970 | 79 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +309% | 1970 | 53 |
| Sierra Nevada | -9% | 1971 | 26 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +380% | 1971 | 127 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -28% | 1970 | 50 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -62% | 1981 | 7 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -82% | 1974 | 12 |
| Appalachian Mountains | +468% | 1985 | 25 |
| Coastal California | -42% | 1976 | 11 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -48% | 1974 | 17 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -91% | 1982 | 3 |
Red Crossbill Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 215% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.