Linaria cannabina
The Common Linnet (Linaria cannabina) is a small, energetic finch, measuring about 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 21-25 cm (8.3-9.8 in) and weighing 15-20 grams. Males in breeding plumage are striking, featuring a grey head, a distinctive crimson forehead and breast, a rich reddish-brown back, and buff underparts, while their outer tail feathers are often white. Females and juveniles exhibit a more subdued, streaky brown appearance lacking the vibrant red, making sexual di...
Common Linnets primarily inhabit open, scrubby landscapes, heathlands, coastal dunes, cultivated fields with hedges, and fallow ground, typically at low to moderate elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of small seeds, especially those from thistles, dandelions, crucifers, and other 'weeds', foraging mainly by gleaning from the ground or low plants. Nestlings are fed a mix of seeds and small invertebrates.
Linnets are diurnal and highly social birds, often forming large, cohesive flocks outside the breeding season that can number in the hundreds. They forage primarily on the ground or among low vegetation, meticulously gleaning seeds. During the breeding season, males establish small territories, p...
The Common Linnet has a wide distribution across the Palearctic. Its breeding range encompasses much of Europe, excluding the far north, extending east across Western Asia to central Siberia, and south into North Africa. During winter, northern and eastern populations undertake short to medium-di...
Least Concern
- The Linnet gets its scientific name *Linaria cannabina* partly because of its fondness for the seeds of flax (*Linum*) and hemp (*Cannabis*). - The male's vibrant crimson forecrown and breast plumage intensifies with age and can also be influenced by diet. - Historically, Linnets were highly pr...