THE PENNINE FINCH
The moorland of the South Pennines is the English stronghold of the twite, Linaria flavirostris; a small songbird that is a member of the finch family. Twites used to be so common in this area that they became known as the Pennine finch, but loss of habitat and problems with food availability mean the numbers have declined rapidly, and the RSPB considers it to be of the highest conservation priority. In 2016, a population study estimated there were 7,600 pairs in Scotland, mainly on the north-west coast, but only 160 pairs in the South Pennines.
“The twite is unusual because it’s one of only two species of bird in the UK that feeds almost exclusively on seeds,” says Hilary McGuire, RSPB twite recovery project officer. Twites measure on average 5½in (14cm), with a wingspan of 8½-9½ (22-24cm), and weigh just 13-18g, approximately ½oz. They are tawny-coloured, heavily streaked with dark brown, with a white chest. “Twites are often confused with linnets and meadow pipits, but they’re quite distinctive birds,” says Hilary. “The males have bubblegum-pink rumps during the breeding season, and they have a distinctive call and way of flying. They’re charismatic, charming birds.”
Between April and October, twites breed on the moorlands of the South Pennines, then they move to the salt marshes of the east coast, where they spend the winter. In their breeding grounds, they rely on hay meadow habitat to provide seeds from plants, such as dandelions, sorrel, thistle and hawkbit. Mature bracken and heather on the moorland fringes are also needed to provide nesting spots.
In 2008, the RSPB, in partnership with Natural England, set up the Twite Recovery Project. Over the last decade, they have worked with more than 70 local farmers and landowners, with funding from government environmental stewardship schemes to manage more than 750 hectares of land for the benefit of the twite. “More than 250 hectares have been reseeded with the key twite food plants, and the land is managed with reduced fertiliser and pesticide use,” explains Hilary. “The meadows are also cut later on in summer so that the seed is available for the birds, and areas of bracken and heather are left to provide cover.”
Songbirds, including the twite, tend to only live for a few years, so, for the population to increase, it is crucial that the birds have a second clutch of eggs, but they will only do this if there is plenty of food around in late summer and early autumn. “We’ve experimented with supplementary feeding stations, where we put niger seeds on the ground, so, this year, we increased the number of these in areas where we know they are breeding,” says Hilary.