Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret
The Lesser Redpoll, Acanthis cabaret, is a small and lively finch belonging to the family Fringillidae, and the smallest of the redpolls regularly occurring in Britain. Adults are streaked brown above with a distinctive crimson forehead patch and, in breeding males, a delicate rose-pink flush on the breast. An agile feeder, it is most often encountered in flocks working through birch and alder trees with acrobatic ease, extracting small seeds with its neat, pointed bill. The species breeds in birch woodland, young conifer plantations, and scrubby upland habitats, moving more widely in winter when flocks can turn up in a variety of wooded and scrubby settings. The Lesser Redpoll has declined considerably and is a Red List species in Britain. Image: © Neil Rolph, Flickr.
Find out more: RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist
Suffolk’s Priority Bird Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
