Florida · Winter visitor

White-winged Crossbills in Florida

When white-winged crossbills are present in Florida, when they nest, which native Florida plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–11b yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera

Status in Florida: Winter visitor
Nesting window: Does not typically nest here
Hardiness zones: USDA 8a–11b

When to expect white-winged crossbills in Florida

In Florida, white-winged crossbills are winter visitors rather than breeders. Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October.

Humid subtropical in the north to tropical in the Keys; a wet summer and a dry winter season.

Native Florida plants that attract white-winged crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for Florida, these 2 provide food or cover white-winged crossbills use:

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

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

Loblolly pine

Pinus taeda · Tree

Pine seed and bark insects; key habitat for Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Feeding white-winged crossbills through the Florida year

Top foods: Hulled sunflower, Black-oil sunflower.
In Florida's winter: Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October.

Full diet breakdown for white-winged crossbills · Best feeder for white-winged crossbills

Frequently asked

Are white-winged crossbills in Florida year-round?

No. White-winged Crossbills are winter visitors in Florida and do not typically nest there.

What native plants attract white-winged crossbills in Florida?

Eastern red cedar, Loblolly pine are native plants in Florida that provide food or cover for white-winged crossbills.

Other backyard birds in Florida

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird 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-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged 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 Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Florida Scrub-Jay Hooded Merganser Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler White-eyed Vireo Northern Rough-winged 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 Burrowing Owl Red-cockaded Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak Brown-headed Nuthatch Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon Monk Parakeet

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.