This morning at 0915h a female, or subadult, Red Crossbill suddenly flew into the window on the north side of my office, as I sat a couple feet from it while on my computer. Obviously stunned, it then flew into the low canopy of a large rhododendron bush about 15 ft from me, and remained perched there in partial view on a small branch, where I watched it with my binocs. It remained upright and unmoving in place there, with the lone eye that I could see partially closed most of the time, although alert enough to occasionally open it more fully for a few moments. I could not detect any other apparent injuries, e.g., to its rather delicate, crossed-tip bill. At 0949h, it finally stirred and then flew off, after more than 30 minutes of immobile sitting without any other movements than occasionally opening one eyelid now and then. It may have been trying to reach the suet cage that I have hanging near this window, and is only the second crossbill that we've ever observed this close to our feeders, although we see them several times each year in the upper canopy of the large Douglas firs around our yard.

Bruce Moorhead
Port Angeles, WA
bruceb at olypen.com