Hey Eric,
Couldn't resist a question about two of my favorite subjects!

You can just recently see Red Crossbill call types (and other bird
taxa/subspecies) in eBird using the new Global Range Maps under View and
Explore Data. You can't yet see all the data that you can on the regular
species maps, but you can see where they've been reported at least.

In Washington, there are five common types, and two others that are
uncommon/little known. Type 4, which feeds on Douglas-fir, is often the most
numerous one in the Puget lowlands. Type 3 (Western Hemlock) is also very
common in western WA, sometimes occurring with type 3's. This winter there
seems to be a very low cone crop for both of these tree species, and hence
both have been very scarce.

Type 10 (the most recently described call type) is resident in coastal Sitka
Spruces. For example, the birds often seen near Bill's Spit in Ocean Shores
are type 10 birds. I've recorded them from Cape Flattery to Cape
Disappointment so they do span the whole coast. I have also found a couple
type 10 birds in localized areas of the Puget Sound that have a lot of
Sitkas, including Skagit County and Pierce County.

In eastern Washington, type 2 is the most common in many different habitats
- I've had them from Cle Elum to Nespelem. Type 5 specializes on lodgepole
pines in mid- to high-elevation areas, e.g. the Nile area in Yakima County.
Type 4 and, to some extent, type 3 also occur in eastern WA. Types 2 and 5
have not yet been found on the westside, but could rarely occur.

The two enigmatic types in Washington are types 1 and 7. Type 1 birds have
apparently been recorded in the Olympics in the past, while type 7 may occur
in the Cascades but hasn't been recorded in the state yet.

Cheers,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington
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