Iowa · Winter visitor

White-winged Crossbills in Iowa

When white-winged crossbills are present in Iowa, when they nest, which native Iowa plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4b–6a yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera

Status in Iowa: Winter visitor
Nesting window: Does not typically nest here
Hardiness zones: USDA 4b–6a

When to expect white-winged crossbills in Iowa

In Iowa, white-winged crossbills are winter visitors rather than breeders. Cold, windy winters; open farmland makes backyard shelter and feeders a lifeline.

Humid continental prairie state, with loess hills in the west and the Driftless Area in the northeast.

Native Iowa plants that attract white-winged crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for Iowa, these 3 provide food or cover white-winged 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.

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

Feeding white-winged crossbills through the Iowa year

Top foods: Hulled sunflower, Black-oil sunflower.
In Iowa's winter: Cold, windy winters; open farmland makes backyard shelter and feeders a lifeline.

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

Frequently asked

Are white-winged crossbills in Iowa year-round?

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

What native plants attract white-winged crossbills in Iowa?

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

Other backyard birds in Iowa

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped 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 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 Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned 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 Red Crossbill 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 Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Blue Grosbeak Hoary Redpoll Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon 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.