Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	White-winged Crossbill
Scientific name:	Loxia leucoptera
Date:	8/20/24
Time:	7pm~
Length of time observed:	10 minutes
Number:	2
Age:	Adult & juvenile
Sex:	Male and unknown
Location:	Near Washington Lake campground, Uinta mountains
County:	Summit
Latilong:	40.679327, -110.958055
Elevation:	9,900ft~
Distance to bird:	50m at closest
Optical equipment:	Nikon 10x42 Binoculars
Weather:	Partly cloudy, calm, 60F
Light Conditions:	OK, sun was setting behind mountains
Description: Size of bird:	small passerine
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Finch like
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Male: bright pinkish red with bold black and white wings. Juvenile: Streaky gray with bold white wing bars
(Description:) Bill Type:	Crossed bills seen
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	As I was driving down the road with my windows down, I heard the distinctive VEET VEET alarm calls of a WWCR. I pulled over and got out to get eyes on it. It was below me in the forest calling periodically. Eventually it flew in closer(as well as a Red Crossbill) and I got good looks at 2 WWCR. One was an adult male:bright pinkish-red with bold black and white wings. The other was a juvenile: heavily streaked and mostly gray but bold white wing bars were seen. Later, a few miles south one of them or another flew over me doing the 4 syllable flight call, I only briefly got eyes on the bird as it flew over, seem to many around this summer. Note:Engelmann Spruce is producing a very large cone crop, both in the Uintas and the Wasatch, and we could have many around all winter feeding on this crop. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	I mainly heard the 4 syllable VEET VEET alarm call, similar to this call recorded very close by a Trail Lake in 2021: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/355001091 . Later I heard the 4 syllable flight calls similar to these calls: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/103203. (Note, these are just examples of what I heard and not recordings of the birds in this record).
Behavior:	Perching in the tops of Engelmann Spruce and feeding on their cones, also seen flying
Habitat:	Subalpine Spruce-Fir forest, with a mix of Engelmann Spruce, Sub-alpine Fir and Lodge-pole Pine
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Red Crossil: very similar but calls very different, single syllable Kip Kip flight calls and they don't do the VEET VEET alarm calls. Males Overall duller brick orangey red with solid black wings. Some can have faint wingbars but that is unusual. Juveniles: also very gray and streaky, and more often show faint wingbars-calls best used to tell them apart. Overall structure is different: Red Crossbills are chunkier with a bigger head and bill and shorter tail. Direct comparison of both calls and visual ID as a Red Crossbill was also present(and I saw many more Reds that day before and after)
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Yes, many
References consulted:	Memory
Description from:	Photo(s) taken at time of sighting)
Observer:	Bryant Olsen
Observer's address:	84102
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	none that I know of, although some reported nearby a Mirror Lake recently.
Date prepared:	8/28/24
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	eBird checklist: