Common crossbill  (Loxia curvirostra)

The UK population of common crossbills is believed to have increased considerably in recent years through large-scale afforestation in both lowland and upland areas. During the 1930s, the activities of a hard-core group of egg collectors in the birds’ Breckland stronghold gave cause for concern. Today’s stringent legal protection and the increase in the crossbill’s populations mean that, at the present time, the birds are not considered to be threatened. However, the Scottish crossbill is listed on the IUCN’s Red List as a bird of high conservation concern.

The common crossbill is recorded as a Schedule 1 bird on the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as amended), along with all species of crossbill on the UK list.