Callum Macgregor

Small finch breeding from W Europe to C Siberia; wintering around the Mediterranean and into N Europe and across to the Himalayas. Populations from W, S and C Europe vary from resident to partial migrant (BirdLife International 2022).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		35800000-64400000,46100000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Linnet

Populations from S Europe tend to be resident; migratory behavior increases with latitude. All migratory European populations/individuals show a clear NE-SW axis of movement with obvious parallel migration and therefore strong connectivity with winter distribution mirroring breeding distribution. Birds from NW and W Europe to W Scandinavia move SW to Iberia, with some reaching NW Africa. Birds from E Fennoscandia to C and E Europe overwinter from E Iberia/S France to Italy. 

Recoveries by Condition for Common Linnet

The vast majority of recoveries (almost 90%) are of birds found alive, mostly recaptures by ringers (~80%). Before 1991, however, around 40% of recoveries were of birds found dead, sick, wounded or shot. This pattern clearly changed in more-recent years when these fates accounted for less than 5% of recoveries, with ~98% being of birds seen alive, mostly recaptures from ringing.

Annual Movements for Common Linnet

Migration in autumn starts in Sep in N latitudes, clearly occuring in Oct across much of Europe. Birds stay in their wintering sites mostly Nov-Mar/Apr with return passage, across much of Europe, peaking in Apr. Arrival in the most N breeding quarters may be as late as May.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Linnet

Breeders from W Scandinavia migrate through C Europe mostly in Oct (autumn) or Apr (spring) and are mainly at their wintering sites Nov-Feb. The relatively longer-distance migrants from NW and W Europe are mainly on passage through the W Pyrenees in Oct, and then overwinter in Iberia. In  S England and France most movements are short-range. The concentration of encounters in Belgium is mainly due to birds on passage from Scandinavia, en route to SW Europe. Breeders from C Europe are found from E Iberia to Italy in Nov-Feb; those from E Europe are encountered from southern France to the Black sea area.

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
BirdLife International 2022 . Species factsheet: Carduelis cannabina.

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