Linnet  (Carduelis cannabina)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Biology

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 4-6 eggs and two to three broods can be produced in a season. The female incubates the eggs for 11-13 days, after which both parents provide food for the chicks.

Linnets are seed-eaters, they feed on over 46 types of seeds, a large proportion of which are from the cabbage family (2). 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 (3).

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