Common Linnet vs House Finch

Common Linnet

Linaria cannabina

How to recognise a common linnet?

General appearance

The common linnet, a small passerine bird, has a delicate bill and slender body. Its plumage is mainly brown, its belly white, and it has a distinctive red forehead and chest. It sports black streaks on its upper parts and wings, and a black tail with white edges. The linnet’s size ranges between 11-14cm, and weight around 15-20g.

Male vs female

Male commons linnets are more colorful, featuring a brighter red patch on their chest and forehead, especially during mating season. The female’s contrast is less striking, almost brown with paler underparts. Males also have a slightly more pronounced song, featuring faster notes and chirruping sounds.

Juvenile

Juvenile linnets are similar to females but lack the red chest and forehead. They display a buff tone on their upper parts, streaked with black, and have a plain underbody. Once they reach adulthood, males exhibit the red patches that distinguish the species.

Size

5.1 - 5.5 in/0.5 - 0.8 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The common linnet typically inhabits open areas such as heathland, farmland, and gardens. Preferring mild climates, it dwells across Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.

Additional range

Unexpectedly, the linnet can also be found in urban environments, utilizing parks and green spaces. They occasionally visit bird feeding stations, particularly in winter.

Range Map

What do common linnets like to eat?

Natural diet

The common linnet primarily feeds on a variety of seeds, including those from dandelions, chickweed, and grasses. During the breeding season, they supplement their diet with small insects, particularly aphids, to provide additional protein for their young.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, common linnets are known to consume small seeds such as millet and linseed. They are less frequently seen than other common garden birds but are attracted to a mix of seeds typically available in general birdseed blends.

What does a common linnet sound like?

The common linnet's vocalizations are melodious, pleasant, and filled with twitters, warbles, and trills. Songs are extended and complex, often described as a medley of rapid notes ending in a long, drawn whistle. Calls are simpler, typically sweet, metallic pitched "tink" or "tink-tink". Males might incorporate mimicry into their songs. The bird often vocalizes on the wing, during flight.

Call

Audio by Bram Piot

/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song

Audio by Nefronus

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

There's more to learn about Common Linnet

View full details

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus

How to recognise a house finch?

General appearance

House finches are about the size of a sparrow at 5-6 inches long (13-15 cm). They possess a rounded wing shape and a notched, square-tipped tail. The prominent colorations include brown, orange, red, and white. Their underparts are pale with blurry stripes all over, and sides feature dark stripes.

Male vs female

Female and young house finches flaunt a rather plain brown face, creating a stark contrast with the males who showcase a red eyebrow and forehead that contrasts with a brown cap. The males also have a red throat and chest, with their lower underparts being whitish. The red coloration in some males can be replaced by orange or yellow which adds to their distinctive appearance.

Juvenile

Young house finches, similar to females, display a plain brown face. However, they display sharper stripes all over their pale underparts. This provides a distinctive mark to identify juveniles from adults. These birds also lack the stripes of house sparrows and different patterns of native sparrows.

Size

4.9 - 5.9 in/0.7 - 0.8 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The house finch originally inhabited streamside trees and brush in dry country, woodland edges, and chaparral in semi-open areas.

Additional range

Now adapted to human environments, they are commonly found in cities, suburbs, farms, and buildings, especially where lawns, weedy areas, and trees are present. They avoid unbroken forest or grassland.

Range Map

What do house finches like to eat?

Natural diet

The house finch primarily consumes vegetable matter. Its diet mainly consists of weed seeds. It also feeds on buds and flower parts during the spring, and shifts to berries and small fruits in the late summer and fall. Additionally, the house finch eats a few small insects like aphids. Young house finches are fed on regurgitated seeds.

Bird feeders

House finches commonly visit bird feeders, where they often consume sunflower seeds, millet, and other commercially available seeds. They are adaptable and are frequently found at feeders, taking advantage of easy food sources.

What does a house finch sound like?

The house finch vocalizes with a chirp similar to a young House Sparrow. Its song, distinct from the call, is a series of warbling notes that end in a 'zeee'. It lacks the musical trills and rolls of a canary. Typically, the house finch will sing these from a high vantage point such as a tree or an antenna for extended periods. The call pattern of this bird is complex, incorporating elements of falling, rising, and undulating, with a chirp/chip, hi, trill, and whistle all involved in its vocal repertoire.

Call

Audio by Gabriel Leite

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Song

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Song

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Song

Audio by Gabriel Leite

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

There's more to learn about House Finch

View full details

Common Linnet

Tap To compare

House Finch

Common Linnet

Linaria cannabina

General appearance

The common linnet, a small passerine bird, has a delicate bill and slender body. Its plumage is mainly brown, its belly white, and it has a distinctive red forehead and chest. It sports black streaks on its upper parts and wings, and a black tail with white edges. The linnet’s size ranges between 11-14cm, and weight around 15-20g.

Male vs female

Male commons linnets are more colorful, featuring a brighter red patch on their chest and forehead, especially during mating season. The female’s contrast is less striking, almost brown with paler underparts. Males also have a slightly more pronounced song, featuring faster notes and chirruping sounds.

Juvenile

Juvenile linnets are similar to females but lack the red chest and forehead. They display a buff tone on their upper parts, streaked with black, and have a plain underbody. Once they reach adulthood, males exhibit the red patches that distinguish the species.

Size

5.1 - 5.5 in/0.5 - 0.8 oz

There's more to learn about Common Linnet

View full details

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus

General appearance

House finches are about the size of a sparrow at 5-6 inches long (13-15 cm). They possess a rounded wing shape and a notched, square-tipped tail. The prominent colorations include brown, orange, red, and white. Their underparts are pale with blurry stripes all over, and sides feature dark stripes.

Male vs female

Female and young house finches flaunt a rather plain brown face, creating a stark contrast with the males who showcase a red eyebrow and forehead that contrasts with a brown cap. The males also have a red throat and chest, with their lower underparts being whitish. The red coloration in some males can be replaced by orange or yellow which adds to their distinctive appearance.

Juvenile

Young house finches, similar to females, display a plain brown face. However, they display sharper stripes all over their pale underparts. This provides a distinctive mark to identify juveniles from adults. These birds also lack the stripes of house sparrows and different patterns of native sparrows.

Size

4.9 - 5.9 in/0.7 - 0.8 oz

There's more to learn about House Finch

View full details

How to tell the Common Linnet from the House Finch

Visual differences

The Common Linnet (4.3-5.5 inches) is slightly smaller than the House Finch (5-6 inches) and features a more slender body and delicate bill. Linnets have primarily brown plumage with a distinctive red forehead and chest in males, and a black tail with white edges. House Finches display more diverse coloration, with males showing red, orange, or yellow foreheads and throats, while females are plainer with blurry stripes on pale underparts. Both species exhibit sexual dimorphism, but the Linnet males have more pronounced, consistent red patches compared to the variable hues in male House Finches.

Key differences and behavior

The Common Linnet and House Finch have distinct behavioral differences. Common Linnets are noted for their melodious songs and prefer open habitats like farmlands and heathlands, occasionally visiting urban feeders. They primarily consume seeds and insects during breeding. Linnet males perform aerial displays and form seasonal pairs, nesting in bushes or trees. Conversely, House Finches are versatile, thriving in diverse environments from urban areas to woodlands. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, fruits, and buds, frequently visiting feeders. House Finch pairs form in winter, and males perform flight-song displays, sometimes feeding females even during incubation. They nest broadly, using urban structures, with both parents feeding young. While both finches appreciate feeders, Linnets are choosier, and House Finches are more urban-adapted and less selective, favoring readily available commercial seeds.