There are are at least two possible explanations:

1. The difference is a first winter vs second winter thing.
Younger male finches often look different from older ones.

or

2. You've got two kinds of Red Crossbills coming to your
feeder. There are seven recognized kinds of Red Crossbills
in North American (and some ornithologists want to split
each into its own species). According to Groth (1993), type
2 and type 6 Crossbills average the reddest, but also can be
found toward orange. Type 3 tends more toward orange and
yellow. The other types fall in between.

Joanne Powell wrote:
>
> This morning I have 6 crossbills at my feeders. My first this
> winter/spring/whatever! 4 males and 2 females. The females and 2 of the
> males look like your basic red (males are reddish-orangeish) crossbills. The
> two other males are colored like white-wings (scarlet-pinkish) but no white
> wing bars. Do crossbills ever cross over?
>
> Regards, Joanne
> Reardan (Spokane) WA
> mailto: jpowell3 at earthlink.net

--
Mike Patterson When I despair, I remember
Astoria, OR that all through history
celata at pacifier.com the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants, and murderers,
and for a time they can seem invincible,
but in the end they always fall.
Think of it...always.
- Mahatma Gandhi

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