Chicks in autumn

Krossnefur – Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

Although it is the end of September with temperatures under zero and winter ahead of us, the Common Crossbill is with chicks.  Yesterday there were ten Crossbills in our feeders. Here a mother is feeding a chick which is probably not older than a couple of weeks. In this way the Common Crossbills are different from other Icelandic birds which only breed in spring and summer. The Common Crossbills seem to breed all year round, depending only on the availability of food.