Crossbills

If you go down to the (pine) woods today, look up at the tops of the trees. You might glimpse the brightly coloured feathers of crossbills – small finches that hop about in the tops of conifers. Crossbills are distinctive-looking birds with large beaks that can break pine cones and extract the seeds. Crossbills are secretive and can be difficult to see; instead, listen out for their twittering calls or watch out for pine cones as they fall to the ground. If you’re really lucky, you might even come across the birds on the ground, where they drink from woodland puddles.

A crossbill.