Loxia curvirostra – GYLFIN GROES – Erratic visitor, has bred

The Crossbill is described in the bird report as ‘erratic visitor, has bred’.  What constitutes an ‘erratic visitor’?  Tabulating records from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports shows that from 1993-2007 they were rarely recorded before May.  In some years dozens were recorded, in some years a handful or none.

This table shows the total number of individuals reported in each month

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1990						13		1	2	2	54	50
1991		26	3	3	4			4		4
1992				4	1
1993								11	17		54
1994	4		3			1		12
1995
1996										4
1997					18	50	70		9	17
1998							5
1999							8			6	7
2000						3
2001							1			2
2002								3	10	1	1	1
2003							1
2004
2005						39	1	24	20	6
2006	12									16
2007				2								12
2008	30	30				11	19	3	4	4	9	2
2009	1				4		12			2
2010	9			4			9			4
2011	25			5		20				24
2012		10	10	25	3		1	4			1	30
2013				9		14	18	2			1	2
2014			heard				2			11		4
2015	7			5		38	6
2016				1	7	16	8
2017				7	5	5	5	5	5	5	27
2018		12							10	12	34
2019		2	11		20	21	22	15	9	2	40	49
2020	16	19		3	68	4	8		1	5	1

Crossbills are stimulated to breed by an abundance of food – whatever time of year it may occur.   The nearest regularly breeding populations are in Ceredigion, where they  mostly fledge from February to April.  So, good numbers of birds seen in January-April may indicate local breeding.  However, it is really necessary to see evidence of actual nesting to be sure they bred here. From May onwards, it gets really difficult to sort out the locals from immigrants.

More about the Common Crossbill in Pembrokeshire