- Lifespan
- 8–10 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 16–17 cm, wingspan 27–29 cm; 34–50 g
- Habitat
- Coniferous and mixed woodland, particularly spruce, pine, and larch plantations where seed-bearing cones are abundant.
- UK Distribution
- Irregular resident and winter visitor, mainly in Scotland and northern England; populations fluctuate based on continental seed crop availability, with occasional irruptions southward in invasion years.
- Diet
- Primarily conifer seeds extracted from cones using its specialised crossed mandibles; occasionally supplements with buds, insects, and salt from roads.
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, Eurasian kestrels, and occasionally Eurasian jays; eggs and chicks taken by magpies and crows.
- Mating Season
- December to April, unusually early for UK birds, timed to coincide with optimal cone maturation.
- Breeding
- Clutch of 3–4 eggs, incubation period 14–18 days, fledging at 18–22 days; typically one brood per year, occasionally two if food supply permits.
- Behaviour
- Highly nomadic, often seen in small flocks that move between feeding areas. Agile acrobatic feeder, often hanging upside-down to extract seeds from cones. Produces characteristic soft chirping calls and a distinctive wheezing flight call.