How to attract white-winged crossbills to your yard
White-winged 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 55 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 White-winged Crossbill is a year-round resident in 26 states and provinces, including Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Connecticut, Maine, Manitoba and 20 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It is a winter visitor in 29, including Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and 23 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what white-winged crossbills use
These native plants are tied to the White-winged 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 | 37 | 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. |
| Loblolly pine Pinus taeda | Tree | 14 | Pine seed and bark insects; key habitat for Brown-headed Nuthatch. |
| Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa | Tree | 11 | Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat. |
| Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum | Tree | 11 | Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter. |
Your list covers 1 plant layer (tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives white-winged crossbills a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Spruce and tamarack seeds pried from cones.
- Warm months
- Spruce, larch and hemlock seeds
- Cold months
- Conifer seeds; occasional sunflower
- At feeders
- Hulled sunflower, Black-oil sunflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: tube feeder with short perches is the first choice for this bird. Wanders the boreal forest chasing spruce cone crops; nests in any month cones are ripe. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup on a spruce branch; can nest mid-winter.
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
- 12–14 days
- Nestling period
- 16–22 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around January in Connecticut but not until February in Yukon. 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 white-winged crossbills to a yard?
Food they actually eat (hulled sunflower, black-oil sunflower), native plants such as Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine, Tamarack, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup on a spruce branch; can nest mid-winter.
What plants attract white-winged crossbills?
Across the White-winged 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 white-winged crossbills?
Nesting starts around January in Connecticut and as late as February in Yukon. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- White-winged Crossbill — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- White-winged Crossbill life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- White-winged 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.