Taxonomic information
Common Name: Twite
Latin Name: Carduelis flavirostris
Family: Fringillidae
Description
TwiteThe twite is a characteristic bird of the moorland fringe. They nest on heather moorlands but will feed in a variety of grassland habitats within 2.5km from the moorland edge where they require a succession of different seeds throughout the breeding season. Large scale declines have been noted in many areas of the country, which are thought to be as a result of a reduction in the number of second broods that are raised each year. It is suspected that this may be due to a change in grassland feeding habitats resulting from a shortage of seed plants in July.
Twite can be a difficult bird to census accurately and although just over 50 pairs were located during the Moorland Bird Survey by the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the early 1990s, this was believed to be a considerable underestimate of the true population. In recent years there has been a decrease in the number of twite records in the Dales indicating that local populations have declined in line with national trends. A few birds can still be found at some of the former breeding sites in the Dales, suggesting that at least a small breeding population still exists. In the national Species and Habitats Review 2007, twite was added to the UK list of priority species for biodiversity action.
