The Scottish crossbill is the only bird species found exclusively in Britain. It is specialised on the seeds of Scots pine in the Caledonian forest. Its welfare is entirely dependent on the future of that forest.
Scottish crossbill welfare in low cone crop years involves nutritional stress as birds must travel long distances or subsist on alternative food sources. The structural specialisation of their bills for Scots pine cones makes dietary flexibility limited. Protection and expansion of native Caledonian pinewood is the only long-term welfare strategy. Deer exclusion fencing allows natural regeneration and provides the next generation of food-producing trees.