THE Scottish crossbill has been identified by scientists as a separate species because of what researchers describe as its distinct Scottish accent.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds claims to have proved that the flutey “chup, chup” of Loxia scotica is unique to the British bird.
Researchers said that the crimson-feathered Scottish crossbill’s Highland twang differs from that of the common crossbill, which makes a warbling “chip, chip” sound, and the parrot crossbill, which has a deep “kop, kop” call. The study also confirms that the Scottish crossbill has a different-sized bill from its relatives and has developed its regional accent and distinct flight patterns to attract potential mates that belong exclusively to its own species.
The RSPB said that the three factors — its call, the size of its bill, and its consistent choice of same-species mate — proves that it is a separate species endemic to Britain.
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The study settles a century-old dispute in the ornithological world as to whether the bird is distinct, or merely a sub- species of the smaller-billed common crossbill.