Common Linnet

Linaria cannabina

Genus · Redpolls and Twites Family · Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
Observation tips Difficulty: EASY
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
BushesFarmlandFences

Look for a small, streaky bird with a musical call. In summer, the male's red breast is a beacon on the top of bushes.

Common Linnet

♂ Male · ♀ Female

Stats
Wingspan22–26 cm
Weight15–22 g
Length12–14 cm
Lifespan wild2–9 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeCup
Clutch size4–6 eggs
Incubation11–13 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationPartial migratory
Social BehaviourFlocking

Diet: Granivore

🦗Insects
🌻Seeds

Habitat

🚜 Farmland🍎 Orchard🏜️ Scrub wasteland
✦ Fun Fact

The Common Linnet was historically kept as a songbird in Europe, alongside other finches such as goldfinches and siskins.

About

A slim, long-tailed finch of open country and coastal scrub. It was once very common but is now declining due to intensive agriculture. It is a resident in the west and south. Northern birds migrate to the Mediterranean for winter. It is a social species that flies in twittering flocks.

Behaviour

Linnets are almost exclusively seed-eaters. They favor the seeds of plants like dandelions and thistles. They are shy when breeding and nest in thick bushes. Their song is a complex medley of trills and whistles. In winter, they form large flocks on stubble fields and saltmarshes.

Sexual Dimorphism

♂ Male

In breeding plumage, the male has a bright crimson-red forehead and breast. He has a greyish head and a warm brown back.

♀ Female

Much duller and heavily streaked with brown. She lacks red on the head or breast but has white edges on the wing and tail feathers.

Similar species

Redpoll
🐦
Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
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