Linnets are colourful farmland finches that have suffered significant declines linked to loss of weed seeds in arable farmland. Their welfare requires seed-rich habitat year-round.
Linnet welfare centres on the availability of small weed seeds at all times of year. In winter, stubble fields and wild bird seed plots are critical survival resources. In summer, the transition from winter seeds to fresh seeds from fat hen, chickweed, and other arable weeds must be seamless - a gap in seed availability during chick-rearing causes starvation. The loss of weedy field margins through herbicide precision means this food chain is broken across much of the UK's arable land. Restoring it is a direct welfare intervention.