Birds of Britain 



northwards. In England, however, it cannot be called 

 common, but in parts of North Wales, Scotland, and Ireland 

 it is abundant. It nests in colonies, the nests being placed 

 on the ground or in a low bush ; they are neatly made of 

 rootlets, pieces of heather, and moss, lined with hair and wool. 



The eggs, like those of the other Eedpolls, are blue 

 spotted with red. Two broods are reared in the season, and 

 as soon as the first brood is fledged the whole colony will 

 sometimes move off to an adjacent spot for the second brood, 

 so that they may be found with young in the nest one 

 week, and a few days later no sign of them or their young 

 will be found at that spot. During the summer their food 

 consists largely of insects, while seeds form their chief diet 

 in winter. After the breeding season they leave the upper 

 moorlands and wander south, a fair number reaching the 

 south of England, especially in severe winters. It chiefly fre- 

 quents the wild open country and marshes by the sea-shore, but 

 in the more wooded localities it is rarely found and it seldom 

 perches on trees. It has a pleasing little song and the call- 

 note is a loud " twah-it," whence its English name of Twite. 



General colour above dark brown with slightly paler 

 edgings to each feather. Wing feathers blackish with 

 white outer margins, as in the Linnet. Tail somewhat 

 forked, the feathers being black with whitish inner margins 

 to the three outer pairs. Under parts huffish white streaked 

 with brown. In the male the lores, cheeks, throat, and 

 rump are suffused with rose red, but the female shows no 

 red whatever. The bill in both sexes is deep horn- 

 coloured in summer and yellowish in winter. The young 

 resemble the female. Length 5 in. ; wing 3 in. 



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