Twite
Least ConcernLinaria flavirostris
Visual Identification
Twite
Appearance
The Twite is a small, slender finch with a streaked brown body and buff-edged wing feathers. Its most distinctive features are a yellow bill and a forked tail. Males display a pink rump, especially prominent during the breeding season. Their bills turn grey during the summer.
Females closely resemble males but lack the pink rump, and the white markings on the wing are less defined. Juveniles have a darker, more heavily streaked appearance and a greyish bill that gradually turns yellow as they mature.
Size
Length
13cm to 14cm
Wingspan
21cm to 23cm
Weight
15g to 20g
Habitat and Distribution
Habitats
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
Distribution
Twites inhabit open, treeless areas, including coastal cliffs, upland moors, and mountain slopes. They are found across northern Europe and Asia, with significant populations in Scotland and northern England.
In winter, many birds move to lowland coastal areas. In the UK, they are year-round residents in Scotland but only winter visitors in southern England.
Elevation Range
Sea level to 2,000 meters
Climate zones
Temperate, Subarctic
Distribution Map
Distribution by Region
Behaviour and Ecology
Bird Attributes
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Diet
Twites primarily feed on small seeds from various plants, including meadow grasses, dandelions, and sorrels. In coastal areas, they often forage for seeds of saltmarsh plants. Some invertebrates may also be eaten, including larvae, flies and beetles.
During the breeding season, they supplement their diet with insects to feed their young.
Behaviour
Twites are gregarious birds, often seen in small flocks outside the breeding season. They have a characteristic bouncy flight pattern and frequently perch on fence posts or rocky outcrops.
During foraging, they move quickly on the ground, picking seeds with their specialised bills.
Vocalisation
The Twite's call is a distinctive, nasal 'twite' or 'twy-eet', from which it gets its name. Their song is a rapid, twittering series of notes, often delivered in flight.
During the breeding season, males sing more frequently, especially when performing courtship displays.
Nesting & Breeding
Twites form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, which typically starts in May. Males perform aerial displays and sing to attract mates.
Nests are built low in heather or gorse bushes, constructed mainly by the female using grasses, moss, and roots. The female lays 4-6 pale blue to dark blue eggs with reddish-brown spots.
Incubation lasts about 13 days, solely done by the female. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 11-13 days but remain dependent on adults for several more weeks.
Lifespan
The Twite typically lives for 3 to 5 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 6.1 years.
Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.
Conservation and Status
Global Conservation Status
While globally listed as Least Concern, Twite populations have declined significantly in parts of their range, particularly in the UK.
Conservation efforts focus on maintaining suitable breeding habitats and providing winter feeding areas. Sustainable farming practices play a crucial role in their conservation.
Birdwatching Tips
- Look for Twites in coastal areas and upland regions of the UK
- Listen for their distinctive nasal 'twite' call
- Observe their bouncy flight pattern and tendency to flock
- Check for yellow bills and, in males, pink rumps during breeding season
Additional Information
Quick Facts
Other names:
Mountain Linnet
Family:
FringillidaePredators
Did You Know?
- Twites are one of the few finch species that do not feed on tree seeds.
- Their scientific name 'flavirostris' means 'yellow-billed' in Latin.
- Twites can form mixed flocks with Linnets and Redpolls in winter.
- Twite numbers have dropped dramatically in northern England since 1990, with only a handful of pairs remaining.
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FAQs
How to attract Twites?
Efforts are underway to revive the struggling twite populations in the UK, with farmers offered advice on how to make their land twite-friendly to encourage breeding by the Twite Recovery Project.
Twites will be attracted by open meadows and grasslands, which offer foraging opportunities for a variety of seeds on which they can feed their young.
Moorland sites are used for nesting, and taller vegetation around the edges of heaths, with bracken and plenty of weeds, such as sorrel and dandelion, will also be beneficial to breeding twites.
By agreeing to cut hay later in the year, farmers can encourage breeding twites to nest on their land.
Similar Birds
References
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website: BirdLife International. 2017. Linaria flavirostris (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22720438A111128447.
View source - 1
journalArticle, 2006: Moller, Sociality, age at first reproduction and senescence: comparative analyses of birds, J Evol Biol, 19:682-689
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