White-winged Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill has surged: up 49× on the route-weighted index since 1972.
About the White-winged Crossbill
The White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) 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 188 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
Notable White-winged Crossbill Trends
No notable trend signals for White-winged Crossbill. See the full index history below.
White-winged Crossbill Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, White-winged Crossbill is projected to rise about 36% by 2029 — from 0.13 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.17 (95% range 0.08–0.27). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±66.2%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.16 | 0.07 | 0.26 |
| 2026 | 0.17 | 0.07 | 0.26 |
| 2027 | 0.17 | 0.07 | 0.26 |
| 2028 | 0.17 | 0.08 | 0.27 |
| 2029 | 0.17 | 0.08 | 0.27 |
Where the White-winged Crossbill Is Detected
BBS routes recording White-winged Crossbill, sized by most recent count.
White-winged Crossbill Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +151% | 1984 | 82 |
| Colorado | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Idaho | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maine | +71% | 1976 | 30 |
| Michigan | -58% | 1990 | 13 |
| Minnesota | -85% | 1996 | 12 |
| Montana | -46% | 1991 | 5 |
| New Hampshire | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| New York | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Washington | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Wisconsin | +114% | 1977 | 15 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
White-winged Crossbill Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | +236% | 1984 | 58 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +14% | 1985 | 17 |
| Northern Rockies | -75% | 1990 | 12 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +158% | 1978 | 39 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +179% | 1972 | 43 |
White-winged Crossbill Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 4796% since 1972.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.