Red Crossbill in November
Where red crossbills are in November, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
November in the Red Crossbill's year
November settles into the winter pattern. Migration tapers to the last hardy stragglers, winter flocks form and start roaming, and birds map out the reliable food sources in their territory. Cold snaps push sudden rushes of activity to feeders.
For the Red Crossbill specifically, November is a fall month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 61 states and provinces where red crossbills occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where red crossbills are in November
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In November, red crossbills are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in November
November is inside the Red Crossbill nesting season. Nest: cup on a conifer branch; can nest in any month when cones are ripe. Clutch 2–5 eggs, incubation 12–16 days, 1–2 per season.
The season is broadly synchronized across the range this month. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in November
- Conifer seeds; sunflower at feeders in flight years
Nomadic — appears when cone crops fail elsewhere, empties sunflower feeders, then vanishes for years.
Winter flocks are forming their routes now — a feeder kept full from November onward becomes a regular stop.
Full Red Crossbill diet guide → · Best feeder for red crossbills →
Watching red crossbills this month
In November, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region red crossbills are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Red Crossbill month by month
Red Crossbill by state
Frequently asked
Where are red crossbills in November?
In November, red crossbills are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do red crossbills nest in November?
Yes — November falls inside the Red Crossbill nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do red crossbills eat in November?
Conifer seeds; sunflower at feeders in flight years.
Sources
- Red Crossbill — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red Crossbill life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red Crossbill — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.