Rewilding & Conservation

The British Isles are home to an endemic subspecies of Twite, known as the Pipilans (Linaria flavirostris pipilans). They were once common throughout upland areas, even gaining themself the nickname the ‘Pennine finch’.  However, due to the intensification of farming in the 19th and 20th century; through overgrazing, use of chemicals and the drainage of peat bogs, the population has decreased to near extinction.

 

Recent reports suggest as few as 12 pairs remain in England, although it could be even fewer after recent conversations I’ve had with multiple BTO ringers and scientists. The situation for Twites in Scotland is not looking good either, with fewer numbers being recorded annually. The population is also highly fragmented, with the last remaining stronghold, located in the Pennines, being of approximately 15 birds. 

 

The 50/500 rule in conservation genetics states that a minimum of 50 individuals is needed to combat inbreeding, and 500 to reduce genetic drift. What this means is that the pipilans Twite is facing functional extinction. The remnants of the population are widespread across the UK, therefore gene flow is largely reduced or non-existent between groups. The flock in the Pennines are also likely to be a family group where inbreeding is now occurring, therefore it’s only a matter of time before they succumb to those ill-effects.

 

So how can we save the Twite? The RSPB has run a recovery project since 2008 to restore and improve pastures in the South Pennines which play a key role in producing food for these birds. Many private landowners have also protected their land from over grazing, allowing for natural regrowth. Several rewilding estates are also making progress to restore 100’s of acres of moorland, where these birds nest. So, the habitat is perfect and available (in theory), but with such low numbers remaining and no migrations from European Twites, a natural recolonisation is highly unlikely. Therefore, a reintroduction may be the answer!

 

Last summer, I partnered up with UK reintroductions expert Derek Gow, The Keep It Wild Trust and several private investors to form the Twite Conservation Project with the aim of reintroducing the pipilans Twite back into Britain in the coming years. The plan is to build a large captive-bred population over the next few years which will then produce offspring for release. We sourced birds from my collection and several other breeders, to build our initial founding population of 6 pairs. 

So far, we’ve managed to double our captive population in the first year and have already achieved several key indicators of success in converting our captive-bred birds into birds indistinguishable from their wild counterparts. These were:

• Nesting at a low level, either on or within 18” of the ground, as Twites do in the wild.

• Rearing their chicks without interference (other than ringing)

• Encouraging foraging on their natural diet. E.g. nettles, dandelion and common sorrel.

We are also getting DNA analysis done on our birds too, helping to identify their origins and to confirm their subspecies as they are separate to the European Twite.

 

Although the project is still in its infancy, the future is already looking brighter for our native Twite, and hopefully we can see them back in our landscape soon.

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If you would like to find out more, watch the Twite Conservation Project Documentary on the OC Aviary YouTube channel! 

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If you are interested in supporting/sponsoring the project, please contact Oliver via email at oc.aviary@gmail.com.