Linnet  (Carduelis cannabina)

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).