By Harry Britton, Project Officer, Shetland
Feeding the Linties
In Shetland, one of our target species is Twite (called Lintie here). Linties are small, brown finches, closely related to the linnet, but with a longer tail and stubbier bill. Lintie numbers are in decline across the UK and, while Shetland remains a stronghold for the small bird, populations are suffering here too. In Shetland, this decline is predominantly due to changes in land use that has reduced the diversity of arable crops. Linties are seed eating birds so the reduction of crop diversity across Shetland, replaced with a monotone picture of silage fields and sheep, has reduced their food source massively. Through Species on the Edge, local landowners and crofters are taking action to turn around the fortunes on Shetland’s Linties.
The Species on the Edge Shetland team, Harry, Gareth and Nathalie, are working with landowners to plant a speciality bird seed mix which we have designed. This mix produces bright and colourful flowers in the summer, supporting Shetland’s pollinators, including the very rare Shetland bumblebee, and in the winter will provide a vital food source for wintering birds, including Linties. Together we have sowed this seed mix at over twenty-six sites across the islands from Fair Isle, to Unst, and, in 2025, this will be extended to Papa Stour and the Out Skerries. We have already seen flocks of over two hundred Linties at some of the sites, so we are encouraging as many people as possible across Shetland with land of whatever size to sow this mix.
Ringing the Linties
Now we know that the bird seed mix is attracting the Linties, we need to learn more so we can ensure we are taking the best action possible to ensure a sustainable future for Linties in Shetland. Do they have a preference of seed mix? How are they moving between the crops? Where are these Linties going? We can make educated assumptions, but without collecting concrete data, we cannot suggest the most effective way of conserving the species. To answer these questions, we have begun a colour ringing project.
To colour ring, we are visiting these different crops across the islands, and catching the birds in nets. Once they are caught, we put a unique colour combination on them – a bit like naming them – with no two birds having the same combination. We then gather extra data like their age, wing length, how much fat and muscle they have on them and their weight. Then, after a quick processing time, the bird is then released.
Here’s the important part – and where you can get involved whether you are a landowner or not. We need sightings! And this isn’t just limited to Shetland, as some Twite have been known to move between Shetland and Orkney, and then Orkney to the mainland. It would be quite hard to see the colour rings through binoculars, so if you are an enthusiastic photographer then please target your lens to the next Lintie you see!
There are four rings on a bird. One is a standard metal ring that any ringed bird will have, and then there will be three rings with colours on them, either brown, white, black, fluorescent orange, lilac or light blue. Our Linties will have the metal ring on their right leg.
Please email any sightings to harry.britton@rspb.org.uk with the date and location as well as any pictures. Feel free to contact Harry if you have any further questions.
