Finch with a bill whose tips cross when closed; SYN. Loxia curvirostra.
Species of bird, a finch of the genus Loxia, in which the hooked tips of the upper and lower beak cross one another, an adaptation for extracting the seeds from conifer cones. The red or common crossbill Loxia curvirostra is found in parts of Eurasia and North America.
The parrot crossbill L. pytopsittacus of Europe, and the white-winged crossbill L. leucoptera of N Asia and North America feed on pine and larch respectively. cross-bill