Loxia sinesciuris
The Cassia Crossbill, *Loxia sinesciuris*, is a medium-sized finch measuring 14-16 cm (5.5-6.3 in) in length with a wingspan of 25-28 cm (9.8-11 in) and weighing 24-30 g (0.8-1.1 oz). Its most distinctive feature, shared with other crossbills, is its crossed mandibles, uniquely adapted for extracting seeds from closed conifer cones. Males exhibit striking brick-red plumage with darker wings and tail, while females are more subdued, displaying yellowish-green to olive coloration with dusky str...
This species is an obligate specialist of mature, old-growth ponderosa pine (*Pinus ponderosa*) forests at elevations typically ranging from 1,900 to 2,800 meters (6,200 to 9,200 feet).
The Cassia Crossbill subsists almost exclusively on the seeds of the ponderosa pine (*Pinus ponderosa*), which it extracts from cones using its specialized crossed mandibles.
Cassia Crossbills are diurnal and highly adapted to their specific niche, spending most of their active hours foraging for ponderosa pine seeds. Their distinctive crossed bill is used with remarkable dexterity to pry open cone scales, allowing them to extract seeds, often while hanging upside dow...
The Cassia Crossbill has one of the most restricted geographic distributions of any bird species in North America, being entirely endemic to a small area within south-central Idaho, United States. Its entire global breeding and year-round range is confined to the old-growth ponderosa pine forests...
Vulnerable
- The Cassia Crossbill was only formally recognized as a distinct species in 2016, having previously been considered a population ('Type 2') of the Red Crossbill. - It is the only obligate seed specialist on ponderosa pine in North America, meaning its survival is entirely dependent on this singl...