Linnet Carduelis cannabina

The Linnet, Linaria cannabina, is a small and lively finch belonging to the family Fringillidae, and a characteristic bird of open scrubby habitats, farmland, and heathland across Britain. Breeding males are attractive birds, with chestnut-brown upperparts, a grey head, and vivid crimson forehead and breast – the latter fading to a more subdued tone outside the breeding season. Females and winter birds are streaked brown throughout. Linnets are sociable, forming large flocks outside the breeding season that move nomadically in search of weed seeds, particularly those of arable weeds and rough grassland plants. The song is a pleasant, varied twittering, often delivered communally. The species has declined significantly due to agricultural intensification, which reduces seed availability, and is a Red List species in Britain. Image: © Neil Rolph, Flickr.

Find out more: RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist