Vietnamese crossbill
|
Vietnamese crossbill | |
| Order | Passeriformes |
|---|---|
| Family | Fringillidae |
| Genus | Loxia |
| Scientific name (Species) | Loxia curvirostra meridionalis |
The Vietnamese crossbill (formerly Annam crossbill) or Dalat crossbill (Loxia curvirostra meridionalis) is a subspecies of the common crossbilll, a passerine bird in the family Fringillidae. This subspecies is endemic to Vietnam, particularly in the mountains of the southern Central Highlands. Da Lat is a large city in this region.
Descripttion
The crossbill is small (14 - 20 cm; 23 - 53 g) with a large head, a round body, short legs, and a pointed tail; The large and wide bill is easily identifiable with the twisted beaks. Males have brick-red to orange-red plumage on the head, and black underbelly, wings and hips and tail feathers. Females have olive to yellow-green feathers, grayish head and face, and bright green hips.
In Vietnam, the Vietnamese crossbill is distributed in Langbiang biosphere reserve; this species lives in the habitat of the three-leaf pine woods (Pinus kesiya).