Wildlife

Twite Welfare on UK Uplands and Winter Farmland

The twite is one of the UK's most rapidly declining farmland finches, with populations falling 70% since the 1970s due to upland management changes and loss of winter seed food sources.

Key Facts

UK population declined around 70% since the 1970s
Red Listed as a bird of high conservation concern
Breeds on moorland fringe and hay meadows in Pennines and Scotland
Winter flocks depend on seeding weeds in coastal and lowland arable areas
Loss of hay meadow flower species reduces breeding season invertebrate food
Agri-environment scheme payments for late hay cutting support twite breeding habitat

Welfare Considerations

Twite flocks that fail to find adequate winter seed food face starvation during cold periods. Individual birds in poor body condition entering winter have reduced survival probability. Breeding birds in degraded hay meadow habitat face reduced chick survival from insufficient invertebrate food. The welfare of this declining species is directly tied to the presence of unimproved hay meadows and weed-seed-rich winter farmland.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment payments for unimproved hay meadow management
Advocate for late hay cutting requirements in upland farmland support schemes
Report twite sightings to BTO BirdTrack and local bird records
Donate to RSPB upland farmland bird conservation programmes
Support Plantlife hay meadow restoration campaigns
Engage with agricultural policy advocating for meadow diversity payments