How to attract red crossbills to your yard
Red Crossbills respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 61 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Red Crossbill is a year-round resident in 35 states and provinces, including Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut and 29 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It is a winter visitor in 26, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and 20 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what red crossbills use
These native plants are tied to the Red Crossbill in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 38 | Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter. |
| Eastern white pine Pinus strobus | Tree | 32 | Seed-rich cones and year-round shelter. |
| Tamarack Larix laricina | Tree | 31 | Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls. |
| Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis | Tree | 27 | Small cones for siskins and chickadees; dense winter roosting. |
| Balsam fir Abies balsamea | Tree | 25 | Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover. |
| White spruce Picea glauca | Tree | 24 | Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills. |
| Black spruce Picea mariana | Tree | 21 | Persistent cones in boreal bogs. |
| Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa | Tree | 17 | Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat. |
| Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum | Tree | 16 | Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter. |
| Loblolly pine Pinus taeda | Tree | 15 | Pine seed and bark insects; key habitat for Brown-headed Nuthatch. |
Your list covers 1 plant layer (tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives red crossbills a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Conifer seeds pried from cones with the crossed bill.
- Warm months
- Spruce, pine and fir seeds
- Cold months
- Conifer seeds; sunflower at feeders in flight years
- At feeders
- Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: tube feeder with short perches is the first choice for this bird. Nomadic — appears when cone crops fail elsewhere, empties sunflower feeders, then vanishes for years. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup on a conifer branch; can nest in any month when cones are ripe.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–16 days
- Nestling period
- 15–25 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around January in Colorado but not until December in California. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts red crossbills to a yard?
Food they actually eat (black-oil sunflower, hulled sunflower), native plants such as Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine, Tamarack, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup on a conifer branch; can nest in any month when cones are ripe.
What plants attract red crossbills?
Across the Red Crossbill's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), Tamarack (Larix laricina), Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Balsam fir (Abies balsamea). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting red crossbills?
Nesting starts around January in Colorado and as late as December in California. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Red Crossbill — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red Crossbill life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red Crossbill — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.