Date: 8/23/25 5:07 pm From: Info FiRN <info...> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Red Crossbill Request for Information
Pretty typical for type 12. They have been feasting the last two months on
the big white spruce crop, and to a lesser degree the good red spruce
across the northeast. They are super common in coastal areas of Maine in
white spruce right now. They were commonly nesting in red spruce across the
Adirondacks this past Jan-April.
Matt
On Sat, Aug 23, 2025 at 9:44 AM Mark Goodrich <mgoodrich149...>
wrote:
> A pair of Eastern Red Crossbills (male and female) were seen feeding
> in a Northern White Cedar tree on the morning of August 21 in Fair
> Haven,VT.
> A rare treat for me! I did not record any vocalizations.
>
> Mark Goodrich
>
> On Fri, Aug 22, 2025 at 3:35 PM C <empidonaxdvg...> wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I’m writing to follow up on my previous requests for observations of
> > eastern red crossbills feeding on conifers. Late summer-early fall is a
> > great time to look for crossbills, as conifer cone crops are mature and
> > food availability for crossbills is at an all time high.
> >
> > As a reminder, I’m looking for recordings of crossbill calls from the
> > eastern US/Great Lakes with information on the conifers the birds are
> > feeding on. The recordings do not have to be made with any advanced
> > equipment – phone recordings are often sufficient. Pictures of the
> conifer
> > cones the birds are feeding on are most helpful. However, if you are
> > comfortable with conifer identification, notes on which conifers birds
> are
> > feeding on are also valuable.
> >
> > Based on contributions from several folks across the eastern US, I’ve
> > accumulated nearly 1,000 records of eastern red crossbills and the
> conifers
> > they’re feeding on. If you’re interested, I’ve posted a little blurb on
> my
> > website (https://www.ckporterlab.com/community-science) illustrating and
> > describing the preliminary data for type 12, the crossbill I have the
> most
> > data for and am most interested in for this project.
> >
> > Although there are some intriguing patterns in the data so far,
> describing
> > the feeding ecology of type 12 and other eastern call types will require
> > *much* more data across many seasons and years. So, if you have
> crossbills
> > in your area, please consider uploading recordings and conifer
> information
> > to eBird. I’ve also created an iNaturalist project (link below) where
> > observations can be uploaded. If you don’t use eBird or iNaturalist,
> please
> > feel free to send me any observations directly.
> >
> > Thanks a ton for considering my request. Please feel free to reach out
> with
> > any questions! Also, please pass this onto anyone you think might be
> > interested in participating.
> >
> > Good birding,
> >
> > Dr. Cody Porter
> >
> > Holland, MI
> >
> > *iNaturalist project link: *
> >
> >
> https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/feeding-ecology-of-eastern-red-crossbills > >
> > *Project description link:*
> https://www.ckporterlab.com/community-science > >
>
