Date: 8/23/25 6:44 am From: Mark Goodrich <mgoodrich149...> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Red Crossbill Request for Information
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 >
