British Columbia · Year-round resident

Red Crossbills in British Columbia

When red crossbills are present in British Columbia, when they nest, which native British Columbia plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 1a–9a yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra

Status in British Columbia: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–December
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 1a–9a

When to expect red crossbills in British Columbia

Red Crossbills live in British Columbia all year. Mild, wet coastal winters where Anna's Hummingbirds now overwinter; cold interior winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Temperate rainforest on the coast, dry interior valleys and mountains, and boreal forest in the northeast.

Nesting in British Columbia

Across British Columbia, red crossbills typically nest from February–December. Plan around that window: January for setup, December for clean-out.

Dry, warm coastal summers; hot in the Okanagan.

Red Crossbills don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as rocky mountain juniper, ponderosa pine, douglas fir for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after December.

Native British Columbia plants that attract red crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for British Columbia, these 6 provide food or cover red crossbills use:

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Ponderosa pine

Pinus ponderosa · Tree

Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii · Tree

Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Black spruce

Picea mariana · Tree

Persistent cones in boreal bogs.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Feeding red crossbills through the British Columbia year

Top foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
In British Columbia's winter: Mild, wet coastal winters where Anna's Hummingbirds now overwinter; cold interior winters.

Full diet breakdown for red crossbills · Best feeder for red crossbills

Frequently asked

Are red crossbills in British Columbia year-round?

Yes. Red Crossbills are year-round residents in British Columbia.

When do red crossbills nest in British Columbia?

Nesting in British Columbia typically runs February–December, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–5 eggs, incubated for 12–16 days.

What native plants attract red crossbills in British Columbia?

Rocky Mountain juniper, Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, White spruce, Black spruce, Tamarack are native plants in British Columbia that provide food or cover for red crossbills.

Other backyard birds in British Columbia

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Purple Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Red-winged Blackbird Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee Bushtit Pygmy Nuthatch Anna's Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee California Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Gray Catbird Western Tanager Lark Sparrow Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

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.