Surfbirds News

Crossbill © Mike Weedon, from the surfbirds galleries

“This is not a migration, but rather an irruption,” he explains. “These birds breed early in the year and occasionally they will exhaust their food supplies where they breed, especially in years when pine seeds are in short supply. When this happens, they often fly thousands of kilometres in search of food. Some years they come as far as Ireland and the UK – which is what we think has happened this year – and some may stay here to breed next year.”

Crossbills are most often encountered in noisy family groups or larger flocks, usually flying close to treetop height. They feed acrobatically, fluttering from cone to cone. Adult males are a distinctive brick-red and females greenish-brown. Their bills are ideal for prising the scales of pinecones open and extracting the seed.

“They are beautiful to watch and have a distinctive ‘chip chip’ call,” said Dr Robinson. “They have been sighted in large numbers in forests across Britain and Ireland, including Northern Ireland. At the RSPB Northern Ireland headquarters in Belvoir Park Forest there is a flock of more than 20 birds which regularly uses the trees above our offices to feed.”

Dr Robinson also went on to say, “This demonstrates the importance of Northern Ireland’s forests for crossbills as well as other amazing wildlife, such as red squirrels, pine martens and treecreepers.

“As the new Forestry Bill passes through the Assembly in the coming months, we are urging politicians and decision-makers to place a strong emphasis on the role that forests play in protecting our wonderful woodland wildlife.”