Few birds have such an unusual beak as the crossbill: the upper and lower halves of the beak cross each other! Such a beak is an extremely effective tool for extracting seeds from pine and fir cones. Crossbills are finch-like birds, which stay in the Netherlands mainly during migration time and in winter. Crossbills often stick together in groups. They can be recognized by a deep, undulating flight, forked tail tip and "tipping" sound. If a group of crossbills settles in trees, they can usually be spotted at the top of the crown, hanging from pine or spruce cones in search of food. Those looking for a pool of water in the area may be lucky enough to see one or more crossbills drinking there.
The crossbill is a relatively large finch with a sturdy, compact body and fairly large head. Unique, but often difficult to see, is the crossed beak. The ground color of males is beautiful crimson, females are almost uniformly green. Young birds are striped almost entirely gray-brown at first, but soon take on the green hue of a female or orange of a male. In all three, the wings are a lot darker.
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