 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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2.55 (0.149 - 5.03)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Of all the finches of the northern forest, the White-winged Crossbill is probably the most nomadic. Spruce seeds are its favourite meal, and whenever and wherever they occur, the bird will gladly travel. The species occurs as a permanent resident mainly in the taiga-the vast belt of coniferous forest that extends across both the New and Old Worlds.
The White-winged Crossbill prefers loose-bracketed cones of spruce, tamarack, and fir to the dense-bracketed cones of pine. It originally bred only in the natural forests of the preferred species across the north, but the planting and maturing of conifers in towns and cities, especially in cemeteries, parks, and institutional grounds, has created suitable habitat in the south.
The White-winged Crossbill is a fairly common permanent resident in the subarctic and boreal forest regions. During the winter it is an irruptive visitor to southern regions, where it sometimes remains behind to breed (Smith 1996). A gregarious bird, it seldom travels alone. Occasionally breeding pairs are seen, but more often small bands of 3-10 birds are noted.
Original text by Mark Abley. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the White-winged Crossbill in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. White-winged Crossbill in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=WWCR&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]
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