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The Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.

This bird breeds to a small extent in the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), forests of central Scotland, but (perhaps surprisingly), rather more often in forestry plantations of exotic conifers, notably Larch (Larix decidua and L. kaempferi) and Shore pine (Pinus contorta). It is currently listed as the only bird species endemic to Great BritainGreat Britain (often abbreviated as Britain is an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales,, but its taxonomic status is controversial, often being considered a race of either Parrot CrossbillParrot Crossbill : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Fringillidae Loxia pytyopsittacus Binomial name Loxia pytyopsittacus Borkhausen, 1793 The Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. or Common CrossbillCommon Crossbill Male Common Crossbill : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Fringillidae Loxia curvirostra Binomial name Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringi, both of which breed within its range. The population is less than 2000 birds. It nests in pines or other conifers, laying 2-5 eggs.

This crossbill is resident, and is not known to migrateLong-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern he. This species will form flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with other crossbills.

The crossbills are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its EnglishThe English language is a West Germanic language, originating from England. It is the third most common "first" language (native speakers), with around 402 million people in 2002. English has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the mil name. They are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation to assist the extraction of the seeds from the cone. The Scottish Crossbill appears to be a specialist feeder on the cones of pines (Scots pine and Shore pine) and larch, though its diet is not yet fully investigated.

Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

This species is extremely difficult to impossible to separate from Common and Parrot, and plumage distinctions are negligible. The head and bill size is intermediate between and overlapping extensively with the other two, and extreme care is needed to identify this species. The metallic jip call is probably the best indicator, but even this needs to be recorded and analysed on a sonogram to confirm the identity.