Red Crossbill, Loxia Curvirostra

Day 182: It's easy to see how the Crossbill got its name, at least until you qualify it by putting "Red" in front of it. Male Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) don't develop their full color until they're at least a year old. Young males could better be described as orange. The female of the species is a drab green, and young birds are marked with brownish flecks on the breast and sides. The Crossbill's unusual beak permits the bird to pry apart the cones of Douglas fir and other evergreens, the seeds of which are the staple of its diet in the Pacific Northwest. This fellow missed the memo. He was hard at work on the steps of the National Park Inn at Longmire!