Michele Mendi

Very broad breeding range, from W Europe/N Africa to E Asia, reaching also N America (BirdLife International 2021). Associated to conifers, with populations having a high degree of specialization, which gives rise to adaptative radiation (Benkman 1993, Groth 1993, Parchman et al. 2006, Edelaar et al. 2012). Movement strategies vary from resident to nomadic/irruptive (Newton 2006).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendStable
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		5610000-14200000,9020000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Crossbill

A species with complex movements. S populations seem to be resident or perform short-range local movements (Alonso et al. 2017). C/N European crossbills show longer-range movements, even reaching S Europe. Movements from N Europe caused when Norway Spruce crop is poor (Newton 2006). Irruptions of these birds mostly follow a SW axis, reaching even SW Europe. Recoveries show that return to N boreal forest uses to be a calendar year later after irruption (Newton 2006). Weak connectivity; individual birds can breed in localities situated up to >3000 km apart.

Recoveries by Condition for Common Crossbill

Overall, most (ca. 95%) recoveries due to birds seen alive, chiefly from ringing. Before 1960, however, most recoveries (ca. 60%) were due to birds found dead (including shot), sick or wounded. This pattern already changed during the period 1961-1990, when the percentage of birds found dead, sick or wounded felt to ca. 30%. From 1990 to present the highest majority of recoveries come from birds recaptured for ringing. 

Annual Movements for Common Crossbill

Irruptions normally happen in summer, when previous year crop is coming to the end and when the new crop is forming. Crossbills captured in passage in Switzerland in Sep, recaptured thereafter in S France/Iberia some months/week later. Breeding occurs in late-winter/spring, when cones open.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Crossbill

See ‘Annual movement’.

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Alonso, D., Arizaga, J., Meier, C. M., Liechti, F.2017 . Light-level geolocators confirm resident status of a Southern European Common Crossbill population. Journal of Ornithology 158: 75–81
Benkman, C. W.1993 . Adaptation to single resources and the evolution of crossbill (Loxia) diversity. Ecological Monographs 63: 305–325
BirdLife International 2021 . Species factsheet: Loxia curvirostra.
Edelaar, P., Alonso, D., Lagerveld, S., Senar, J. C., Björklund, M.2012 . Population differentiation and restricted gene flow in Spanish crossbills: not isolation-by-distance but isolation-by-ecology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 25: 417–430
Groth, J. G.1993 . Evolutionary differentiation in morphology, vocalizations, and allozymes among nomadic sibling species in the North American red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) complex. Univ. California Publication in Zoology 127
Newton, I.2006 . Movement patterns of Common Crossbills Loxia curvirostrain Europe. Ibis 148: 782–788
Parchman, T. L., Benkman, C. W., Britch, S. C.2006 . Patterns of genetic variation in the adaptive radiation of New World crossbills (Aves: Loxia). Molecular Ecology 15: 1873–1887

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