Red Crossbills are winter birds in Alaska: the first arrive in the second week of June, they are common by early July, peak in early March (4.3% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.
When to look
First arrivalsJun 8-14the second week of June
Common byJul 1-7early July
PeakMar 1-7early March
Most gone byApr 15-21mid April
Best: early March. First arrivals the second week of June; most are gone by mid April. Peak: on about 4.3% of Alaska checklists.
Jancommon
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprcommon
Mayuncommon
Jununcommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Alaska that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Preachers PondKenai Peninsula Borough, best mid June · 89 checklists that week, 576 in all52%
Spruce CapeKodiak Island Borough, best late August · 20 checklists that week, 421 in all50%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Alaska, the Red Crossbill is most often listed on checklists started between 8 and 10 am (3.1% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
2.2%
2.8%
2.5%
2.6%
February
3.8%
2.5%
3.2%
4.4%
March
4.3%
4.1%
4.2%
3.3%
April
3.2%
2.9%
2.1%
1.7%
May
1.4%
1.3%
1.2%
1.0%
June
1.1%
1.5%
1.6%
1.4%
July
2.0%
2.4%
2.5%
2.4%
August
2.5%
2.7%
2.6%
2.3%
September
1.9%
2.2%
2.5%
1.9%
October
2.4%
2.3%
2.4%
3.1%
November
3.2%
3.1%
2.4%
2.4%
December
2.3%
2.7%
3.5%
2.6%
Neighboring states
Washington: arrives late February, 14 weeks earlier than Alaska
Oregon: arrives early March, 13 weeks earlier than Alaska
Idaho: arrives mid April, 7 weeks earlier than Alaska
Montana: arrives late June, 2 weeks later than Alaska
Common questions
When do Red Crossbills arrive in Alaska?
Red Crossbills are winter birds in Alaska: the first arrive in the second week of June, they are common by early July, peak in early March (4.3% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.
When do Red Crossbills leave Alaska?
Most Red Crossbills have left Alaska by mid April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of May.
When is the best time to see a Red Crossbill in Alaska?
The Red Crossbill is reported most often in early March, on about 4.3% of Alaska checklists.
Where in Alaska are Red Crossbills seen most often?
By county, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, and Wrangell City and Borough have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red Crossbill (counties with at least 200 checklists).
