Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret Scientific name definitions

11·5–12·5 cm; 9–12 g. Small to medium-sized, brownish, streaky finch with pale wingbars, short, conical bill and slightly forked tail. Male breeding has lower forehead and lores black, upper forehead and forecrown deep red or crimson (rarely, orange or yellow), crown to nape dark brown with paler buff or grey-buff feather edges, narrow pale buffish supercilium from above eye to rear of ear-coverts merging into greyish-buff on side of neck, short thin dark eyestripe behind eye, buffish-brown (sometimes tinged light pinkish) cheek and ear-coverts, with variable streaking; upperparts like nape or darker grey-brown (when worn), broadly and boldly streaked with pinkish-brown to earth-brown edges, rump pale buff to pink or bright pink of variable extent (usually brightest on centre of rump) and usually partly concealed by blackish streaks or brown tips; uppertail-coverts dark brown, fringed pale buff; tail blackish-brown, finely edged buffish-brown; upperwing dark brown, median coverts finely tipped buff, greaters more broadly tipped whitish-buff (forming wingbar, whitish or absent through wear in mid-summer), flight-feathers finely edged pale buff, more broadly on tertials; chin black, pale whitish-buff below, throat to breast, upper belly and upper flanks may be tinged bright pink or rose-pink (merging with that on face), flanks and side of belly broadly streaked blackish, belly white and undertail-coverts white to buffy-white, streaked finely darker; iris dark brown or black; bill dull yellow or pale straw, dark horn-coloured culmen and tip; legs black or blackish-brown. Non-breeding male (fresh plumage, in autumn and early winter) has forecrown bright crimson, rest of head and upperparts tawny-brown, streaked black, side of neck buffish, pink on rump more extensively concealed by buff-brown tips, wings slightly paler, wingbars more prominent; throat and side of breast pale tawny or buffish-brown, lightly streaked brownish and washed pink on centre of breast (becoming more extensively pink from face to upper belly when pale tips abrade). Differs from C. flammea in slightly smaller size, darker or browner head, upperparts and upper breast and flanks contrasting with whitish belly, also upperparts heavily streaked darker, pale greyish or buff (not white) "tramlines" on sides of back, heavily streaked rump, and duller or more buffish-white tips of greater coverts and edges of flight-feathers. Female breeding is like male, but generally darker or duller brown on head and face, with slightly smaller red patch on forehead, and sometimes pink tinge on centre of breast and on lower back (rump otherwise brown or buff-brown, streaked darker); blackish chin patch often slightly larger than on male, extending to centre of throat, underparts off-white to buff-brown, broadly streaked darker on side of breast and flanks and lightly on centre of breast. Non-breeding female (fresh plumage) has head, upperparts and wings browner, broad buff or whitish-buff wingbars and edges of flight-feathers and tertials, and tips of flight-feathers also finely buff. Juvenile is like breeding female, but tips of tail feathers sharply pointed, lores grey or dark grey and face pale buffish-brown, lightly streaked on ear-coverts, forehead to nape dark brown, streaked greyish-white (lacks crimson on forehead), upperparts streaked warm or dark brown with broad buffish-brown edges, rump and uppertail-coverts buffish or whitish, streaked blackish-brown, upperwing-coverts tipped whitish-buff, edges of flight feathers pale buff-brown, tertials tipped whitish, less black on chin, underparts pale greyish or whitish, more heavily streaked dark brown on breast, flanks and side of belly, bill pale yellow with dark tip; first-winter plumage (acquired Aug–Sept) not always separable in field from adult female, but retains juvenile outer greater coverts, primary coverts, flight-feathers and tail feathers, first-year male (and some adult females) with pink tinge on lower cheek and rump.

Previously placed in genus Acanthis. Was until recently considered conspecific with C. flammea, and evidence from mitochondrial DNA suggests that the two, together with C. hornemanni, are probably best regarded as closely related sister-species or forming a superspecies; despite wide genetic variation within their ranges, however, recent studies have found little support for lineage division between arctic-breeding and boreal-breeding redpolls, and comprehensive review of gene flow still required in order to determine species limits; pending conclusions of any review, may need to be reclassified within Acanthis. Present species has hybridized with C. flammea and C. cannabina. Birds from Argyll, in SW Scotland, described as race disruptis on basis of more tawny-brown upperparts with purer black streaks, but differences small and within range of individual variation of species, and considered insufficient to warrant naming of geographical races. Monotypic.

Breeds British Is, SW Norway, S Sweden, Denmark, and N & NE France E to S Belgium and Netherlands; also N & C Germany, Alps (from SE France E to Austria) and Carpathians (SE Czech Republic and S Poland, possibly also N Romania). Widespread in NC & S Europe in non-breeding season.

Open deciduous and coniferous woodlands, principally including birch (Betula) and larch (Larix), on heaths, hillsides, alder (Alnus) carrs and riverine woods, hedgerows, parks and gardens, also conifer plantations (where trees below 3 m in height); in parts of range occurs in birch and alders in coastal dunes. Lowlands and hills; in Alps mostly in subalpine conifer woods, alpine meadows and pastures above 1400 m.

Resident and migratory. Alpine breeders largely sedentary or make post-breeding descent short distances to lower altitudes. In W Europe, including British Is, disperses from breeding area in Aug to mid-Sept, moves longer distances late Sept and Oct to S & SE of breeding range, and in years of food shortages flies farther, occasionally reaching Spain, Mediterranean coast of France and N Italy (in irruption years movements continue into Nov); those breeding in N British Is move to continental mainland S to W Germany, but proportion migrating varies annually, depending on birch seed crop; evidence from ringing indicates that some return to winter in same area in successive years, but individuals wintering in Britain in one year may cross North Sea in subsequent winter. Return movements to breeding area from mid-Apr, and arrival back in N areas of range late Apr and May. Most migrants move in small to large flocks of up to 100. Vagrant in Iceland.

Mainly plant and tree seeds, buds, also small invertebrates. Seeds include those of birch, spruce (Picea), pine (Pinus), alder, larch, juniper (Juniperus), beech (Fagus), ash (Fraxinus), poplar (Populus), willow (Salix), dogwood (Cornus), elder (Sambucus), guelder-rose (Viburnum), bramble (Rubus), currant (Ribes), buckthorn (Rhamnus), rowan (Sorbus), hawthorn (Crataegus), also willowherb (Epilobium), thistles (Carduus, Cirsium), nettles (Urtica), daisy (Bellis), evening-primrose (Oenothera), viper's-bugloss (Echium), hops (Humulus), dock (Rumex), mistletoe (Viscum), mugwort (Artemisia), burnet (Sanguisorba), mayweed (Matricaria), lady's-mantle (Alchemilla), goosefoot (Chenopodium), orache (Atriplex), tansy (Tanacetum), yarrow (Achillea), groundsel (Senecio), chickweed (Stellaria), buttercup (Ranunculus), dandelion (Taraxacum), hawkbit (Leontodon), hawk's-beard (Crepis), hawkweed (Hieracium), mouse-ear (Cerastium), rose (Rosa), charlock (Sinapis), radish (Raphanus), meadowsweet (Filipendula), cinquefoil (Potentilla), clover (Trifolium), St John's-wort (Hypericum), crowberry (Empetrum), cranberry (Vaccinium), rushes (Juncus), sedges (Cyperaceae) and grasses (Gramineae). Recorded also as collecting green algae from branches of ash. Invertebrates include bugs (Hemiptera), flies (Diptera), ants (Formicidae), mites (Acari), springtails (Collembola), dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), moths (Lepidoptera) and their larvae (particularly those of Coleophora laricella during large-scale infestation of larches), stoneflies (Plecoptera), fleas (Siphonaptera), beetles (Coleoptera), spiders (Araneae) and snails (Mollusca). In S England winter diet consists of up to 90% birch seeds, but also resorts to alder (when birch crop poor or fails), and supplements diet with willowherb, meadowsweet, mugwort, tansy and goosefoot seeds; in studies in Oxford, 80% of seeds weighed less than 0·5 mg, 18% 0·5-1 mg, and 2% more than 1 mg (up to 5 mg). Forages mostly in trees, in low vegetation, on growing and seeding plants and on ground; usually on ground in autumn and winter, when tree seeds exhausted or fallen. Actively and acrobatically clings or hangs upside-down on cones, catkins, also outermost twigs; perches nimbly on vertical and bent twigs. Singly, in pairs and in small groups; following breeding season gathers in large flocks, exceptionally of over 100 individuals in favoured feeding areas, prior to moving to wintering grounds.

Very similar to that of C. flammea. Song, usually from prominent perch or during display-flight, a short rippling trill which includes the "chut-ut-ut-ut" call and interspersed with buzzing "errr errrr" notes. Call a distinctive metallic twittering series of "tje" or "che" repeated at intervals, "che-che-che" or "chut-ut-ut-ut" or "chuch-uch-uch-uch", varying in pitch from soft to harsh and frequently uttered in flight, also concludes with dry or rattling "chuch-uch-uch-errrrrrr" (last note also given alone as a softer or more purring "serrrrr") or a rising "tooee" or "dsooeee"; alarm or anxiety call a sharp grating "eeeeze" or "zeeze", similar to that of C. carduelis.

Season, late Mar or early Apr–Jun; two broods, but often only in years with good food supply. Monogamous; exceptionally polygamous. Solitary or loosely colonial. Pair formation apparently takes place before break-up of winter flocks, and pair-bond endures for single season. Displaying male performs circular bounding song flight while giving territorial song; often several males in song flight together. Nest built by female, male assists in collecting material, usually a small platform of twigs, heather, plant stalks and down, leaf stems, roots, grasses, bark strips, moss flowerheads, leaves, animal hair and feathers, placed up to 5 m above ground in shrub or tree, preferentially juniper, spruce, larch, birch and pine, occasionally apple (Malus), elder or willow, frequently close to trunk, also in canopy and on more exposed branch; may reuse material from previous nest. Clutch 4–6 eggs, variably bluish-white to pale bluish-green, blotched violet-pink and rust-red with purple-brown spots and lines; incubation by female, period 10–12 days; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period 9–14 days, may leave nest before capable of flying; young fully independent at 26 days; second nest may be started during fledging period of first brood. Breeding success fairly high: of 57 eggs in N Italy (Lombardia) study, 68% hatched and 47% subsequently fledged young, average 2·5 young per successful nest; of 53 nests in S Germany in which eggs laid between mid-Apr and late May, 57% failed largely owing to high predation rate by crows (Corvidae), particularly Common Magpie (Pica pica), also Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and domestic cats (Felis catus), leading to 3·7 young per successful nest, and of 36 subsequent attempts 36% failed and only 2·7 young per successful nest. Age of first breeding 1 year.

Not globally threatened. Common to locally common. Densities of more than 50 pairs/km² on heaths and upland birch forests in Britain, 100–400 pairs/km² in mixed larch forest in Switzerland, and up to 400 pairs/km² in spruce-birch forest in E Germany. In second half of 20th century, range expanded to include Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and S Sweden, Czech Republic and N & C Germany. Throughout European range still increasing, but population breeding in British Is has declined since 1970s; at least in England declines were strongly associated with decreases in young coniferous woodland availability 1 Burgess, M.D., Bellamy, P.E., Gillings, S., Noble, D.G., Grice, P.V. and Conway, G.J. (2015). The impact of changing habitat availability on population trends of woodland birds associated with early successional plantation woodland. Bird Study. 62(1): 39–55. Close ; latter decrease associated with similar decline in abundance and seed production of birch in SE England, and this species possibly also significantly affected by intensification of agriculture and loss of hedgerows; has declined also in interior Netherlands since early 1990s.