Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus, 1758

This is a species of lowland to submontane conifer forests and woodlands. Northern Palearctic populations are mostly found in taiga forests of spruce (Picea) and southern breeders (southern Britain south to the Mediterranean region) in pines (Pinus), including Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Race guillemardi occupies black pine (Pinus nigra) and race corsicana occurs in cultivated Corsican pine (P.n. larico). It also uses larch (Larix), cedar (Cedrus), alder (Alnus) and birch (Betula). In North America it also uses hemlock (Tsuga) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga). In North Africa it breeds mostly in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), less commonly in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), almond (Prunus dulcis), walnut (Juglans), poplar (Populus), hornbeam (Carpinus), beech (Fagus), oak (Quercus) and hazel (Corylus). In the Himalayas it is mostly found in high-altitude hemlocks, spruce, fir (Abies) and pine forests. On passage and in the non-breeding season it occurs in pine and deciduous trees in coastal woodlands, parks and gardens, including in suburban areas and city centres, also exceptionally along tideline. The breeding season is generally determined by food abundance but is typically from August to April/May in northern and central Europe, mid-January to mid-May in Scandinavia, February to mid-May in northern Russia, March to early November in Cyprus and December-January in the Philippines. It breeds at any time of year in the Indian Subcontinent and in most months in North America. The nest is a deep cup of conifer twigs, bark or rotting wood strips, plant fibres, grass, moss, lichens, animal hair and feathers. It is sited 3–35 m above the ground, usually beneath the outermost foliage, close to the crown of a tall conifer and often close to the trunk in a spruce or along the branch of a pine. Clutches are three to four eggs. The species is resident and a partial migrant and is commonly irruptive and nomadic in the non-breeding season (Clement and Christie 2016).