Linnet

Linnet  Carduelis cannabina

In winter this small finch has a dark pointed bill, long wings and a forked tail.  The upperparts are uniform warm brown, and the underparts are buff with dark streaks.  The head is a grey colour, with pale areas above and below the eye.  Perhaps the most distinctive feature, though, is the white flashes on the primaries and tail, more so in flight.

Flight is undulating and flitting.  When not feeding on the ground, birds perch on low bushes and fences.  In winter, flocks of linnets can be large and it is at this time of the year that they associate with other finch flocks making comparisons interesting for the birdwatcher.

Calls are 'tsooeet', and flight call is 'chichichichit'. Also the musical fluty twittering song can sometimes be heard in winter.

Birds can be found on stubble and set aside fields.