Illinois · Winter visitor

Red Crossbills in Illinois

When red crossbills are present in Illinois, when they nest, which native Illinois plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra

Status in Illinois: Winter visitor
Nesting window: Does not typically nest here
Hardiness zones: USDA 5a–7b

When to expect red crossbills in Illinois

In Illinois, red crossbills are winter visitors rather than breeders. Cold, windy winters in the north; the southern tip is milder and hosts more wintering species.

Humid continental, grading from the Lake Michigan shore and prairie north to the forested Shawnee Hills in the south.

Native Illinois plants that attract red crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for Illinois, these 3 provide food or cover red crossbills use:

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seed-rich cones and year-round shelter.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Feeding red crossbills through the Illinois year

Top foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
In Illinois's winter: Cold, windy winters in the north; the southern tip is milder and hosts more wintering species.

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

Frequently asked

Are red crossbills in Illinois year-round?

No. Red Crossbills are winter visitors in Illinois and do not typically nest there.

What native plants attract red crossbills in Illinois?

Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine, Tamarack are native plants in Illinois that provide food or cover for red crossbills.

Other backyard birds in Illinois

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Golden-crowned Kinglet Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Blue Grosbeak Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rock Pigeon Monk Parakeet Eurasian Tree Sparrow

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.