The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) is a small, brown-streaked finch with a red forehead patch and a black chin, often seen in lively flocks that can, in some winters, arrive in very large numbers when food supplies falter further north. It measures 11–14 cm in length, has a wingspan of around 20–25 cm and weighs only 10–18 grams. The plumage is grey-brown and densely streaked, with the small red forehead patch — sometimes called the "birch patch" — and black chin present in both sexes, while the male additionally shows a pinkish flush across the breast in breeding plumage. The species varies considerably in colour tone and size across its range.
It is often heard before it is seen: the most common call is a dry, metallic and rolling "tjett-tjett-tjett" given by flocks in flight, while the song is a twittering, buzzing jumble interspersed with nasal "tsooii" notes. The Common Redpoll breeds across large parts of Sweden, with an emphasis in the north, in birch and mountain-birch forest and alder woods, and while the national breeding population is large, it varies considerably between years. It is a short-distance migrant whose movements are strongly governed by seed supply, and in some winters true invasions occur, with large flocks moving south and turning up across the whole country. The nest is a small, neat cup of twigs, grass and feathers placed in a tree or bush, where the female lays 4–6 eggs and incubates for about twelve days; breeding can occur quite late and often in loosely knit groups, tracking seed production in the birch forest. The diet is dominated by small seeds, especially from birch and alder, supplemented by buds and some insects in summer, and winter flocks often hang acrobatically in treetops to pick seeds or visit bird feeders for nyjer and small sunflower seeds.
Read about this species in Swedish →