About the Twite
The twite is a small brown passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is a partially migratory species that is found in a strongly disjunct distribution in northern Europe, and in Asian mountains from eastern Turkey to Nepal, western China and Mongolia. It mainly feeds on small seeds but occasionally also feeds on insects.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The twite is similar in size and shape to a linnet, at 13 to 13.5 cm (5.1 to 5.3 in) long. It lacks the red head patch and breast shown by the linnet and the redpolls. It is brown streaked with black above; adult males also have a pink rump, immatures and females a brown rump. The underparts are buff to whitish, streaked with brown. The conical bill is yellow in winter and grey in summer. The call is a very distinctive nasal twaa-it, from which its name derives, and the song contains fast trills and twitters.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Twite sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Bulgaria, Italy, Pakistan, Spain.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Yemen LinnetLinaria yemenensisThe Yemen linnet is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.
Warsangli LinnetLinaria johannisThe Warsangli linnet is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.
Common LinnetLinaria cannabinaThe common linnet is a slim bird with a long tail.
Side by side: Common Linnet vs Twite
Learn the Twite for real
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