Many people today increasingly want to have an exotic and unusual animal or bird in their home. In this regard, many questions arise: what do they eat, how to provide comfortable conditions for their maintenance and reproduction. This article will talk about a small but very cute bird called the crossbill, which takes root surprisingly well in captivity.

Brief description

To better understand the nuances of keeping this bird, you first need to find out who it is crossbill and how it behaves in its natural habitat.
This representative of the Finch family is densely built, has fairly long wings and short legs, on which strong toes are well defined. Characteristics external image is a crossed beak (the upper and lower parts are curved) and a short tail, divided in two.

The feathers of adult males are crimson-red or red-orange in color, and a brown tint is noticeable on the front of the back. At the same time, females are distinguished by a completely different color palette: their feathers are gray-green, with a characteristic yellowish tint. The wings of all representatives of the species are brown, and in young birds the predominant color is dark olive with numerous streaks.

Full color formation ends closer to the 3rd year of life. By this time, the body length of the crossbill is approximately 14–20 cm and weighs 50 g.
Ornithologists conditionally divide all birds into three main types: spruce crossbill (common and frequently encountered representative), pine crossbill (relatively different large sizes, large head and beak) and a small white-winged crossbill, the color of which is dominated by pink, and large stripes are clearly visible on the wings white(found in the taiga and North America).

To settle in natural conditions, these small birds choose coniferous and mixed forests, while avoiding cedar plantations. Crossbills build nests on the tops of trees, where they can reach either by air or simply by moving along the tree trunk, clinging to the bark with their claws.
The main component of their diet is the seeds of coniferous and sometimes deciduous trees, although they will not refuse various insects. A strong curved beak helps them open the scales of the cone and get the seeds.

Did you know? Crossbills eat only a quarter of the seeds from the cones, after which they throw them away and move on to other, half-opened specimens.

Choosing and arranging a home

When setting up their homes in trees, birds use small branches of spruce and other species, placing them between the branches.
For home breeding, they are sufficiently suitable for keeping crossbills. spacious metal cages(2.2×1×1.25 m) and open enclosures (2.5×3×2 m). If the space allows you, you can make them even larger or install them directly in the garden.

In a warm room you can place a large aviary, in which food for the birds will also be prepared. Do not forget to regularly place branches of coniferous trees (especially spruce) inside.

In addition to small indoor enclosures, crossbills can be kept together with other birds you have (for example, bullfinches, siskins, bramblings, etc.). They also get along well with insectivorous birds.

Feeders and drinking bowls should be placed around the perimeter of the inner enclosure.

Important! If you have space on your property to set up a large “walking” aviary, then you can build concrete pools for birds to bathe and drink, equipped with a tap and a drain hole, which will allow you to regularly change the water.

Features of home care

Considering that crossbills are wild birds, they need a sufficient amount of activity, so it is advisable to take care of their daily “walking” (a fenced area with a net stretched over the top is ideal for these purposes). It is also important to provide birds with a regular, varied diet and promptly clean their cages of feces.

What to feed

Besides fir cones, which the described representatives of birds simply adore, can be added to their diet regular grain mixture, berries (for example, rowan), pine and regular nuts, but it’s better to split them a little first. To diversify the menu of your pets, you can get pine or spruce buds, especially if the pine cones are available in limited quantities. In captivity, the bird does not disdain oatmeal, mealworms, sunflower or hemp seeds.

How many years do they live in captivity?

Their easy learning ability made it possible to turn wild birds into pets simple actions, as well as a fairly high life expectancy. Given suitable housing conditions and appropriate nutrition, crossbills can live in captivity for up to 10 years.

Evidence of the full development of birds is their bright crimson color, but as soon as it turns pale, it’s time to be alarmed, since further rapid death of the bird is quite likely.

Did you know? All crossbills are highly frost-resistant and in natural conditions are able to hatch offspring even at –30 °C, and the white-winged representatives can sing even at –50 °C.

Do they produce offspring in captivity?

Knowing what crossbill looks like and where it lives, you can easily catch it with a net, but it’s good if you immediately come across a pair that will later produce offspring. Unlike other representatives of birds, crossbill chicks hatch in winter time(usually at Christmas), helped by good food supplies. In captivity, the natural cycle of their reproduction does not stop, however, only if the pets are provided with all the conditions for nesting.
Responsible owners who are truly interested in increasing the number of crossbills in their home, enclosures have been preparing for breeding since the fall: the soil is processed and disinfected, and trees and shrubs are partially replaced.

At the end of winter, the enclosure must have fresh pine and spruce branches, which should be updated regularly. In addition, in addition to them, several different designs of nesting bases are placed in the enclosures (it is better if they are wire: crossbills more actively occupy them).

All nests must be placed in branches (pine or spruce) with which the walls of the enclosure are densely covered. The floor should be covered with forest soil in advance, allowing it to become overgrown with dandelions, thistles and nettles. From trees other than spruce and different types thuja, you can plant elderberry and small pines (of course, this is only if you are setting up an enclosure in an open area, say, on the territory of a summer house).

The owner of crossbills can himself contribute to the beginning of the breeding season of birds. All you need is to diversify feeding, increase food portions and provide for the birds " building material"at the end of February - beginning of March.
Spruce or birch branches, reed leaves, dry leaves, jute, coconut fiber and even animal wool are perfect for the role of the latter. All this can be placed in a wire container with large holes, and materials that are too rough can simply be left on the ground.

Did you know? IN old times crossbills were used by traveling musicians in their performances. They could get “lucky tickets” and even took part in fortune telling.

Usually birds look for a mate on their own, which is very important for the successful reproduction of birds. When kept together, such married couples begin to take shape in the fall, and if there are extra individuals left (without a pair), then they can be given to other breeders.

At the beginning of the “mating season,” male crossbills begin to sing their songs much louder, while females more actively beg for food from them, fluttering their small wings. At the end of winter (starting from the second half of February), both partners move on to building a nest. Most often, the male is engaged in creating the foundation of the future home, and the female lines the tray. The result is a thick-walled nest, which is largely due to winter season reproduction. The common crossbill lays about 4 eggs at a time, although in rare cases there may only be 3 eggs in the nest. If there are already 2 eggs, the female sits on the nest and leaves it only short time to drink or defecate.

At this time, she does not get food for herself, since she is fed by the father of the family. After 15 days of incubation, chicks are born. In the first week of life, they feed exclusively from the female, who in turn receives food from the male. Of course, if there is no harmony in the pair and the male does not bring food, then the entire brood will die.

Important! The nest can only be checked when the bird voluntarily leaves it.

About 7 days after the birth of the offspring, the male begins to feed the chicks together with the female so that the latter can leave the nest more often to search for food. It must be said that the young grow very quickly and after a little more than a week they begin to gradually leave the parental nest.
As soon as this happens, the father proceeds to build a new home, after which the female again lines the tray and begins to lay eggs. From this moment, feeding the chicks that fly out of the nest falls entirely on the shoulders of the male, and after 6–7 weeks they become completely independent and ready for adult life.

In order not to overload the birds, after the 3rd brood it is better to remove all nests and nesting material. A new cycle can begin as early as next season.

Despite the fact that the described birds are suitable for keeping at home, they remain wild birds, which means they must live in freedom. If you still want to get such pets, then take the trouble to create for them all the conditions for a full life, because otherwise they will start to get sick and quickly die.

The crossbill is a large ripe raspberry colored bird with long and narrow wings, short thick legs with strong toes ending in sharp claws, a short forked tail and thick plumage. Home distinctive feature crossbill - a beak folded in a cross. This unique beak helps the bird bend back the scales of the cone and deftly remove seeds from it. Pine and spruce seeds contain a lot of resin, which crossbills love very much; it is not at all harmful to their health.

When feeding, the crossbill selects no more than a third of the seeds from the torn cone and then drops it. In cones dropped to the ground, the seeds are stored for more than a year and serve as a supply of food for wood mice, squirrels and other animals.

Crossbills roam all year round, leaving areas with a poor cone harvest and gathering in large quantities in productive areas of coniferous forests. Therefore, if in one year they were extremely numerous in one place, then the very next year in the same area you may not find a single bird. The number of crossbills directly depends on the yield of pine and spruce and is therefore subject to fluctuations that follow changes in the yield of these conifers.

Crossbills are common in coniferous forests throughout the northern hemisphere.

Crossbills fly quite quickly, although they do not make long flights; They climb trees excellently, and, hanging upside down, rarely descend to the ground.

Crossbills hatch chicks in both autumn and spring, but more often, oddly enough, in winter. True, continuation of the family is possible only when there are ample supplies of food at hand.

Crossbill settles in coniferous and mixed forests, but not in cedar. The nest is built on the top of a spruce or pine tree under the cover of thick branches that protect the building from snow and rain. Only with the first cold weather does the crossbill begin to build, so home His house is always strong and of good quality: there is warm bedding below, and the walls are strong and thick.

The voice of the spruce crossbill:

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Text used:
A. Gorkanova. "Migratory and wintering birds of Russia. Thematic dictionary in pictures"
Artist: Ekaterina Reznichenko

Attracts the interest of any person who is not indifferent to the natural world.

Christ's bird

During the crucifixion of Christ, when his torment was severe, a bird flew in and tried to pull the nails out of Jesus’ body with its beak. But the fearless and kind little one had too little strength, and she only disfigured her beak and stained her breast with blood.

The Almighty thanked the little intercessor and endowed her with special properties. It was crossbill, and its uniqueness is in three manifestations:

• cross-shaped beak;
• "Christmas" chicks;
• incorruptibility after life.

The answers to the mystery lie in the way of life of the birds, but this is no less interesting.

Description of crossbill

Crossbill bird - small in size, up to 20 cm, from the passerine order, it is distinguished by a dense, stocky build, a short forked tail, a large head and a special beak, the halves of which are curved and moved in different directions, forming a cross.

Why does the crossbill have such a beak?, it becomes clear when the crossbill begins to rapidly remove seeds from the cones. Nature has ideally adapted it to obtaining such food.

Tenacious paws allow the crossbill to climb trees and hang upside down from cones. The color of the breast in males is red-crimson, and in females it is greenish-gray. The wings and tails of crossbills turn brownish-gray.

Crossbill feels confident on a branch, even upside down

Crossbills singing on high notes, resembles a chirp mixed with a loud whistle and serves to communicate between flocks of birds. Roll call usually occurs during short flights, and crossbills are silent on branches.

There are five to six species of crossbills, of which three main ones live in Russia: crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill. They all have similar feeding patterns and habitats. The names indicate small characteristics of the species in their preference for coniferous forest environments and the presence of white feathers on the sides.

Habitat and lifestyle of the crossbill

The ancestors of modern crossbills are very ancient, existing about 9-10 million years ago. In spruce and pine forests The main species of crossbills formed in the Northern Hemisphere. Their distribution directly depends on the harvest of cones, which are the basis of nutrition.

Therefore, crossbills live both in the tundra and in steppe regions, make significant flights to places rich in food. There are cases when ringed birds were found 3000 km from the original location.

In the photo there is a crossbill spruce bird

In Russia they live in coniferous forests mountainous area in the south of the country, northwestern regions. The bird can be found in mixed forests with a predominance of spruce trees. Crossbills do not live in cedar forests. The crossbill has practically no enemies in nature.

This is explained by the fact that due to the constant consumption of seeds, birds “embalm” themselves during their lifetime and become very tasteless, or, more precisely, bitter for predators. Therefore, after natural death, they do not decompose, they mummify, which is facilitated by their prepared body with high content resin

Crossbills can fly well, but to say that crossbill – migratory bird, or crossbill - sedentary bird, you can't. Rather, the crossbill is a nomadic representative of birds. Nomadism is associated with the harvest.

Pine crossbill feeds on cone seeds

In places rich in food, birds spend time endlessly climbing trees, crossbill beak shape allows you to do this deftly, like . For this feature and the bright coloring of their feathers, they were nicknamed northern parrots. They rarely descend to the ground, but on branches they feel confident even upside down.

Crossbill feeding

It is a misconception to think that crossbill feeds exclusively on the seeds of spruce or pine cones, although this is its main diet. Crossbill beak tears off the scales, exposing the seeds, but only a third of the cone is used for nutrition.

The beak of the crossbill is crossed to make it convenient to remove seeds from the cones

Once upon a time traveling musicians They taught crossbills to use their beaks to get lucky tickets or to participate in fortune telling. The ability to learn simple actions makes birds pets. If the crossbill lives in a cramped cage without maintaining nutritional needs and temperature regime, it loses its crimson color, turns pale to the color of the female, and then dies.

Breeding enthusiasts strive to achieve different color and vocal variations, so it becomes clear why at the crossbill the voice of a canary or the outfit of a bullfinch appears. Study of crossbills – exciting activity, bringing the joy of communication with the most ancient birds of our wildlife.

Crossbills

genus of birds of the finch family. Length up to 17 cm. 3 types: spruce crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill. They live in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere; They feed mainly on the seeds of coniferous plants. IN productive years can nest from February.

CROSSCLOSES

Crossbills (Loxia), a genus of birds in the finch family (cm. FINCHES). The size of a sparrow or slightly larger (body length up to 17 cm). Dense build. They have a special beak structure: the ends of the mandible and mandible overlap each other, crossing each other crosswise. The general coloration of adult males is cherry red, with a brighter red rump and brownish-red wings, tail and shoulders. In the female, the red color is replaced by yellowish-gray. Young males have an orange coloration in the first year of life due to the mixed red and yellow feathers. Inhabitants of the taiga zone, but are also found in the mountain forests of the Caucasus, Crimea, Turkmenistan and Siberia.
There are 3 species in Russia: spruce crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill. The most common in Russia is the spruce crossbill. The pine crossbill differs from it in its thick and high beak and somewhat larger size. The white-winged crossbill is a lighter pinkish-red color with two wide white stripes running across its wings. It is smaller in size than other crossbills.
Common nomadic birds. From the taiga, crossbills, during their frequent migrations, fly into all regions of Russia, often very far from their nesting sites. They were observed in the Volga delta, in the semi-desert steppe zone of the Karaganda region. They live on coniferous trees in flocks, often hanging from cones, tearing them off and dropping them. During the flight they constantly call to each other, but, having settled on a tree, they fall silent. They feed mainly on the seeds of coniferous plants. The voice is a ringing “kle-kle”, which serves for sound communication between flocking birds. The song is a collection of chirps with loud whistles.
In cone-producing years, they can nest from February. At this time, the birds celebrate their “weddings”. The nest is made in trees. The clutch of the white-winged crossbill consists of 4-5 bluish eggs with black-brown speckles in April - June, the spruce crossbill - of 3-4 pale greenish-blue eggs with brown spots in March - May, the pine crossbill - of 3-4 eggs are the same color as those of the spruce tree. Crossbills are often kept in cages. Captured birds very quickly get used to captivity.

Encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .

See what “crossbills” are in other dictionaries:

Crossbills ... Wikipedia

- (Loxia), a genus of finches. Dl. up to 17 cm. The ends of the jaws are crossed, which allows K. to bend the scales of spruce, pine or larch cones and extract seeds with a sticky tongue. Some types of K. cope with hard pine cones, others only with soft ones... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Crossbills, a genus of birds (finches family). Length up to 17 cm. The elongated ends of the beak are crossed, which allows crossbills to bend the scales of conifer cones and extract seeds from them with a sticky tongue. 3 species of spruce crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill; live in... Modern encyclopedia

A genus of birds in the finch family. Length up to 17 cm. 3 species: spruce crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill. They live in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere; They feed mainly on the seeds of coniferous plants. In good years they can nest from February... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Loxia) a genus of birds of the finch family. Length up to 20 cm, weigh 30 58 g. The mandible and mandible of K. are crossed with a device for extracting seeds from the cones of spruce, pine and other conifers. The plumage of males is reddish, females and young ones are greenish. 3… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Genus of birds family. finches. Dl. up to 17 cm. 3 species: K. spruce, K. pine and white-winged K. They live in the forests of the North. hemispheres; eat ch. arr. coniferous seeds. In productive years they can nest from February. Crossbills: / spruce; 2 pine trees... Natural science. Encyclopedic Dictionary

Crossbills- Spruce crossbill. Crossbills, a genus of birds (finches family). Length up to 17 cm. The elongated ends of the beak are crossed, which allows crossbills to bend the scales of conifer cones and extract seeds from them with a sticky tongue. 3 types of spruce crossbill, pine crossbill and white-winged crossbill... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Rod Crossbill- 18.26.10. Genus Crossbill Loxia The birds are slightly larger than a sparrow, with a crossed beak and a relatively short cut tail. Males are red or red-crimson, females are greenish, young birds are gray and mottled. They nest high in trees... ... Birds of Russia. Directory

Crossbills Male crossbills in the Deschutes National Forest, Oregon (USA) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals ... Wikipedia

Books

• Forest calendar, N. Sladkov. Contents of the collection: January How crossbills made squirrels jump in the snow Boar snowman How the Bear was turned over Bird canteens Ice-hole canteen How long is a hare? Greedy Jay Magpie and...
• Bureau of Forest Services. With questions and answers for why, N. Sladkov. Everyone has long known and loved the works of the wonderful writer Nikolai Ivanovich Sladkov. There is no need to imagine the textbook stories from the series “Forest Hidden Places”: they are “passed through” in the elementary...

Crossbills cannot be confused with anyone else: only they have such unusual beaks with crossed ends. Scientists believe that this feature is the result of a successful mutation, which allowed crossbills to develop a new food resource that was previously inaccessible - seeds from the cones of coniferous trees. From this point on, an arms race began between trees and birds, in which the cones became larger, their scales thicker, and crossbills developed many variations with beaks of different sizes and degrees of curvature. Among them is the spruce crossbill, adapted to feeding on spruce seeds.

The beak of the crossbill was one of the mysteries evolutionary theory, since it took into account only gradual changes in organisms, and the curvature of the beak, even insignificant, reduces the viability of the bird. It is now known that large changes in body structure can occur all at once, in the form of genetic mutations. They are generally harmful and natural selection discards them. But it also happens differently, as probably happened with that chick who was destined to become the founder of the crossbill family: the ugliness turned out to be useful.

COMPLEX TOOL

Since the chicks of today's crossbills are born with symmetrical beaks, and the crosshair appears only at the age of one month, when they are already flying out of the nest, it can be assumed that in the first "crossbill" the malfunction in the genetic program also did not appear immediately, but when it grew up . As the beak became bent, it became increasingly difficult to extract seeds from the ears. He tried to pick at a rough lump that had previously seemed inedible, and discovered nourishing food. This happened 8 million years ago. The crossed beak turned out to be a very convenient tool, suitable for a whole series of manipulations with cones.

First, the crossbill cuts off the cone with it, as if with a pruning shears. Then, holding it suspended, as if with tweezers, it turns it over with the petiole down. Having settled on a horizontal section of a branch, the bird balances on one paw and holds a pine cone with the other. To get the achene, the crossbill splits the scale along its axis, like with crooked scissors, picks up the seed with a hook at the end of its beak, presses it with its tongue to the side groove on the palate and splits it like a nut cracker. The crosshairs of the upper and lower parts of the beak allow the development of very great force. In birds with a straight beak, maximum pressure occurs at the base of the beak, and the ends are suitable only for cutting off the delicate parts of plants. With a scissor overlap, the area of ​​greatest compression is at the crossover point, which gives the bird the opportunity to bite through the scales and reach with its tongue the seeds hidden there.

COEVOLUTION

As the crossbills adapted to obtaining seeds, the trees tried to protect themselves from them. Of course, one cannot expect conscious actions and directed efforts from plants, but they still have some ways to resist their enemies.

The gains in reproduction go to those who retain more seeds, and those who either have a larger cone or coarser scales were better able to protect them from crossbills at first. But crossbills also adapted: following changes in the shape of the cones, the birds’ beaks became longer and stronger. This “arms race” is called coevolution in science. The concept of concerted evolution biological species, dependent on each other, was proposed in 1968 by the great Russian geneticist N.V. Timofeev-Resovsky, whose biography is described in the documentary novel “Bison” by D.A. Granin. Conifers arose long before birds, and even more so before the appearance of crossbills, but from the moment their evolutionary paths crossed, their whole life turned into an endless competition. The spruce crossbills living in the northeast provide an excellent illustration of this concept. North America and in the Rocky Mountains, where there are five species of conifers with different cones. Five variations of crossbills of this species arose there, with different beaks and voices.

IN FIR MODE

In the European and Asian parts of the range, the main food tree of the crossbill-spruce is spruce. These birds are so closely connected with it that the entire annual cycle, characteristics of reproduction and physiology depend on the seasonal regime of the tree. Spruce seeds are set in summer, ripen by autumn, but, being ready for germination, are stored in closed cones until the end of winter. Crossbills are able to extract seeds from them at any time of the year, which allows them to nest in both winter and summer. But the best period for breeding is the end of winter. As soon as the sun begins to warm up, in dry frosty days the cones open so that the winged seeds leave the “cradle” and, caught by the wind, are transported further away to a new, free place. At this time it is easiest to obtain seeds, and the breeding season is usually timed to coincide with this time.

CHICKS IN THE FROST

Few birds decide to hatch their chicks in the cold, but crossbills cope with this perfectly. The nest, suspended on a strong spruce branch, has thick walls of spruce twigs and moss and a warm lining of wool and feathers. In order not to freeze the clutch, the female begins incubation with the first egg and does not leave the nest until the chicks grow down. All this time, the male brings her food in the form of burps of crushed seeds. Incubation lasts two weeks, and the same amount of time is needed for the chicks to grow, fledge and fly out of the nest. Their parents feed them with the same burps. This is a rare case in the world of birds when the chicks’ diet contains no insects. And even after the babies catch up in size with the adults, the father continues to feed them until the beaks acquire the curvature necessary for independent food production. If the seed harvest is good, the female can immediately begin her second clutch. But if there is a crop failure, the crossbills fly away in search of best places and can nest there without regretting their former homeland.

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