I have photos of crossbills gnawing at stuff on pilings in the
Columbia River and dying willows at Stanley Lake, presumably for
salts, but maybe dietary fiber....
Crossbills around Ft Stevens spend a lot of time foraging alder
cones, both the bigger-billed ones and the smaller-billed types.
The concept of ecological niche partitioning is as much human construct
as it a real biological property of organisms. We shouldn't be
surprised when organisms choose not to stay in the boxes we try to put
them in especially if they have wings and can fly 100's of miles.
Things that might drive natural selection on the breeding are not always
in play at other times of the year.
--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
That question...
http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/northcoastdiaries/?p=3294
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