Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	White-winged Crossbill
Scientific name:	Loxia leucoptera
Date:	8/22/24
Time:	12:30~pm
Length of time observed:	10 minutes total
Number:	3
Age:	?
Sex:	?
Location:	Albion Basin Campground-Alta Utah
County:	Salt Lake
Latilong:	40.575902, -111.610223
Elevation:	9,500ft~
Distance to bird:	20m at closest
Optical equipment:	Nikon 10x42 Binoculars
Weather:	Partly cloudy, breezy, 65F
Light Conditions:	OK
Description: Size of bird:	small passerine
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Finch like
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	dull yellowish, with bold white wing bars
(Description:) Bill Type:	Crossed bills seen
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	There were 2 observations in the campground. The 1st was in a mixed flock with Red Crossbills, as they were flying over I heard the distinctive 4 syllable flight call of a WWCR, I then spotted the bird making the calls and it landed in a dead snag, photos show the white wing bars. It was a dull yellow-orange, so either an adult female or immature male(not an adult male), but calls were the main ID feature. Later I heard another small group of 2 or 3 WWCR, we did see them in the tops of the spruce feeding and calling(the 4 syllable flight calls), but lighting was such it was hard to see much other than they were crossbills making WWCR calls. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	I mainly heard the 4 syllable flight call, 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:	Landing in tops of spruce and feeding on cones, also flying between tree tops and landing in a dead snag
Habitat:	Subalpine Spruce-Fir forest, with a mix of Engelmann Spruce and Sub-alpine Fir
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 4 syllable flight 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 many Red Crossbill were also present.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Yes,many
References consulted:	Memory
Description from:	Photo(s)
Observer:	Bryant Olsen
Observer's address:	84102
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	I was leading a bird walk with 10 participants, all of whom saw the WWCR, although they were relying on me to ID the birds.
Date prepared:	8/28/24
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	eBird checklist: