Species of
finch, genus
Loxia, family Fringillidae, order Passeriformes, in which the hooked tips of the upper and lower beak cross one another, an adaptation for extracting the seeds from conifer cones. The red or common crossbill
Loxia curvirostra is found in parts of Eurasia and North America, living chiefly in pine forests.
The parrot crossbill
L. pytopsittacus of Europe, and the white-winged crossbill
L. leucoptera of northern Asia and North America, feed on pine and larch respectively.
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