Northwest Territories · Year-round resident

Red Crossbills in Northwest Territories

When red crossbills are present in Northwest Territories, when they nest, which native Northwest Territories plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 0a–1a yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra

Status in Northwest Territories: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–December
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 0a–1a

When to expect red crossbills in Northwest Territories

Red Crossbills live in Northwest Territories all year. Extremely cold, dark winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Subarctic boreal forest in the south, Arctic tundra in the north.

Nesting in Northwest Territories

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

Brief summers with midnight sun.

Red Crossbills don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after December.

Native Northwest Territories plants that attract red crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for Northwest Territories, these 4 provide food or cover red crossbills use:

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

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 Northwest Territories year

Top foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
In Northwest Territories's winter: Extremely cold, dark winters.

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

Frequently asked

Are red crossbills in Northwest Territories year-round?

Yes. Red Crossbills are year-round residents in Northwest Territories.

When do red crossbills nest in Northwest Territories?

Nesting in Northwest Territories 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 Northwest Territories?

Balsam fir, White spruce, Black spruce, Tamarack are native plants in Northwest Territories that provide food or cover for red crossbills.

Other backyard birds in Northwest Territories

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-winged Blackbird Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow Canada Jay White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush American Crow Common Raven Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Western Tanager Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing 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.