Linnet or Twite?

Mothman

I've 3 birds at the nyger seed. In all likelihood Linnet, but I can't rule out Twite for a couple of them.

The various images cover all three birds.

Half-cocked

Linnets. This time of the year a twite will have a yellow beak. Its always worth looking closely to make sure, they are tricky to tell apart.

Mothman

Thanks for confirming. There was no hint of a yellow beak on any of them had put them down as linnet.

Half-cocked

I have 30 Linnets in my small garden at the moment, I seem to spend ages squinting at them trying to pick out a Twite, just to add another species to my garden list. Am I turning into a twitcher?:eek:;)

googsy

Good article here on the differences between a Linnet and a Twite....

http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=427

Feargal as Luimneach

Another thing to distinguish them is tameness IMO (subjective though). Twite are super tame while linnets would not be. If you see a flock of twite in the winter you could almost walk (slowly) right up to them and they will not fly away. If however it is a mixed flock of birds if one of the other species flies away the twite will fly away as well.

The tameness difference is like the difference in tameness between redpoll and goldfinch (at nyjer feeders). The redpoll are much less nervous

Feargal as Luimneach

Half-cocked wrote: »

I have 30 Linnets in my small garden at the moment, I seem to spend ages squinting at them trying to pick out a Twite, just to add another species to my garden list. Am I turning into a twitcher?:eek:;)

Get a list 500+ and you could start callin' yourself one..................

Mothman

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Get a list 500+ and you could start callin' yourself one..................

Phew, I'm safe then

Feargal as Luimneach

Mothman wrote: »

Phew, I'm safe then

Not really Mothman, you are a twitcher when it comes moths/draganflies/damsleflies:D I'd say you have an impressive list.......

LostCovey

Half-cocked wrote: »

Linnets. This time of the year a twite will have a yellow beak. Its always worth looking closely to make sure, they are tricky to tell apart.

I find two other things very helpful:

- a Twite has a plain un-streaked mustard-coloured throat patch

- nothing on a Twite is grey (a lot of young ambiguous Linnets have some grey on their heads)

I find these really useful in the field, and they put most if not all of your birds in the 'Linnet' camp.

LostCovey

Whippersnapper

Have never seen either of these guys.

Rancid

I've had a little female linnet in the garden for the last 2 or 3 days, but she wasn't going near the nyjer feeder, or any other feeder either. She seemed to spend most of the time on the ground eating the fallen seeds, mostly sunflower and nyjer.

This is the first time I've even *seen* a linnet, so having one feeding in my garden is a pleasure!