Linnet

• Name also

  Common linnet, Eurasian linnet

• Scientific synonym

  Carduelis cannabina

• Appearance

  A small, slender, dark finch found in farmland. Back cinnamon brown colored in all plumages, throat beige with faint darker strips. White edges on wing and tail feathers prominent.

• Size

  Length 12.5–14 cm, weight 15–21 g.

• Nest

  Nest built low down, at a height of 0–4 m in trees or bushes with dense foliage, or occasionally on the ground. Made of twigs, roots, bark strips and dried grass, lined with down, hair, threads, cotton-like plant material etc.

• Breeding

  Lays 2–6 eggs in April. Females incubate for 11–14 days. Hatchlings remain in nest for more than 14 days.

• Distribution

  Breeds in Southern and Central Finland in farmland and suburban areas. Finnish breeding population estimated at 10,000–20,000 pairs.

• Migration

  Diurnal migrant, flies south in September–October, returning March–May. Winters in Western and Central Europe or around the Mediterranean. May occasionally winter in Finland.

• Diet

  Seeds of wild plants.

• Calls

  A dry “diu-diuk”. Song consists of lively and varied twittering phrases.

Male Linnets have grey heads, dark pink foreheads and breasts, and rich brown backs. Females are more modestly coloured, largely brownish with indistinct streaked markings. Distinguishing features include the white edges to their tails and wing feathers, visible in all plumages. Linnets have brown legs, dark brown irises, and their beaks are brown with a greyish base to the lower mandible.

Linnets appear restless and busy. Pairs stay close together during the breeding season.