Linnet

🔍 Overview

Common but decreasing resident and partial migrant. A finch of open countryside and coastal scrub, Linnets are declining in parts of Sussex but remain in farmland and heathlands.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Small (13–14 cm)

Male Plumage: Grey head, red breast and forehead in breeding season

Female/Non-breeding: Plain brown

Bill: Slim and pointed

Flight: Bouncy, undulating

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Found in coastal scrub, farmland, and heaths, e.g., Cissbury Ring or the South Downs.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Sweet, twittering song and flight call. Often in small flocks.

🍴 Diet

Seeds—favors dandelions, thistles, and other wildflowers.

📸 Birding Tip

Watch gorse-covered hillsides in early spring; flocks often perch on wire fences.