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Carduelis cannabina (Linnet / Ketenkuşu)

Carduelis cannabina (Linnet / Ketenkuşu)


Carduelis cannabina (Linnet / Ketenkuşu) from Pamukkale, Denizli - 10.04.2011.

Slightly smaller than a sparrow, the linnet is an attractive finch, which was highly sought after as a cage bird in the 19th century for its pleasant melodious song. Males have chestnut backs and grey heads and during the breeding season they develop a striking pinkish-crimson crown and breast. Males, females and juveniles have white edges to the wings and tail.

This bird breeds in Europe, western Asia and north Africa. It is partially resident, but many eastern and northern birds migrate further south in the breeding range or move to the coasts. They are sometimes found several hundred miles at sea. The linnet is associated with lowland farmland and uses weedy fields, hedgerows, heathland, scrub and gorse thickets. It may also inhabit orchards, heathland, saltmarshes, gardens and parks.

Linnets tend to form groups of up to 20 individuals during the breeding season, which lasts from mid-April to the beginning of August. Nests are built in dense hedges, scrub or thorny trees. A typical clutch consists of four to six eggs and two to three broods can be produced in a season. The female incubates the eggs for 11 to 13 days, after which both parents provide food for the chicks.

Linnets are seed-eaters, feeding on over 46 types of seeds, a large proportion of which are from the cabbage family. The species gets its scientific and common names from its feeding habits; the generic name Carduelis derives from the Latin for thistle and 'linnet' derives from the Latin 'linum', which is flax, a seed plant that this bird once fed on.

References: 1. ARKive, 2. Wikipedia.