Finches · Perching birds
Twite
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Linaria flavirostris
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Voice
Song
How to recognize it
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Body length 13–13.5 cm
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Brown upperparts with dark streaks; pale underparts with brown streaks
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No red patches on the head or breast
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Bill yellow in winter, grey in summer; nasal "twaa-it" call
About the species
Mostly brown, the Twite has black streaks across its back and brown marks on buff-to-whitish underparts. Its conical bill is yellow in winter and grey in summer. Adult males have a pink rump, while females and young have a brown one.
The call is a distinctive nasal "twaa-it," while the song runs through quick trills and twitters. Outside the breeding season, they gather in large flocks, sometimes mixing with other finches along coasts and salt marshes. Females build nests on the ground or low in a bush.
It breeds in alpine grassland and low shrubland, and in northwestern Europe also uses coastal grassland. Across its Asian range, breeding sites are high in the mountains. Small seeds, usually gathered from the ground, make up most of its food, with insects taken occasionally. Many move south or toward the coasts for winter, while some stay year-round.
Where to find
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Outside the breeding season, look for large flocks — sometimes mixed with other finches — on sea coasts and salt marshes.
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During the breeding season on open alpine grassland and among low shrubs, look for a Twite picking seeds from the ground.
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In the breeding season on coastal machair grassland under traditional low-intensity farming in northwestern Ireland, western and northern Scotland, and Norway, listen for fast trills and twitters.
