The pine nut crackers

(Article written for the Majorca Daily Bulletin as part of my weekly 'Wild Mallorca' column. Pictures copyright Neville Davies)

Adult male Son Real Woods Mallorca

Mallorca has a member of the finch family that is packed with character, quite large and with a unique shaped bill. Here, the Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra balearica) is a sub-species that in Catalan goes by the name of 'Trencanpinyons', or 'pine nut cracker', or Piquituerto común in Spanish. They have a length of 15 - 17cm with a wingspan of 27 - 30cm and a weight  between 40 and 53g. The familiar 'chip chip chip' calls always give away their presence, and they utter these calls both when feeding and flying to and from feeding areas in their small groups.

Cases Velles on the Formentor road is my favourite site to visit to see these colourful finches, and where Mediterranean Flycatchers and Firecrests can also be added to the day's list. Mondrago is another good site as like Cases Velles there is an abundance of pine woods. La Gola reserve in the centre of Puerto Pollensa is another reliable site as is Son Real where an artificial pool is overlooked by a hide, and here the Crossbills and other species come down to drink (my two photos are from this spot).

Juveniles tend to sit and watch the adults drink before having their turn

The nest is a twig platform built near the trunk of the tree, where four off-white eggs with bold spots are laid. Conifer seeds, especially Spruce and Larch are eaten along with several other species of pine cones, and the Crossbill has a unique way of extracting the seeds from within. The upper mandible crosses over the lower mandible (giving them the English name of Crossbill), and acts as a type of tweezers to prise open the cones to reach the seeds inside. On many an occasion when watching them feeding, flakes will gently drift down from the trees as they are taking bits off from the outside of the cones. However, this food source makes them thirsty, so anywhere in the pine woods that has a pool, sit quietly and wait, as they will arrive for a drink.

Adult males are a beautiful brick-red colour except for the dark wings, and the adult female is a beautiful olive-green colour (except for the dark wings). Juveniles have a brown, heavily streaked plumage and tend to look quite scruffy in appearance. Many an hour has been spent in the hide in Son Real watching these characteristic birds coming down to drink, listening to their calls as they approach closer, then dropping down to the edge of the pool, and being a larger finch, the Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Linnets always move aside for them. Even in large groups, Crossbills never seem to squabble, and the call is always heard as they keep  contact with each other.

Juvenile Son Real Woods, Mallorca

Spend some time seeking out these colourful birds, find a good spot for them, sit down and relax and watch them go about their business, its good for the wellbeing and allows the chance to see other species too. The quieter one is, the more relaxed the birds become, and start to reveal a number of species previously hidden away in the foliage. Happy searching. 

 Son Real Woods Mallorca

 The artificial pool viewed from the hide

 Female Crossbill of the sub-species Balearica (Son Real Woods, Mallorca).