Tim writes: some books and websites call this species Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret) but there is no genetic difference between these and Common Redpolls (A. flammae).  And from 1 January 2018 BOU officially dropped this species to become a subspecies of Common Redpoll when they adopted the IOC species guidelines.  

So this is now Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammae subsp cabaret). But oddly Lesser Redpoll is still on the BOU Official List nearly three years later.  Lesser Redpoll’s status as a species was only short-lived as BOU only accepted it as a species in 2001 on the basis of a small population in Norway in 1994 that held 6 pairs of cabaret and 5 pairs of flammae, with no evidence of mixed pairs.

The name Redpoll refers to the red on the head, as poll originally meant head.  The red on the forehead is just visible here, as is the distinctive black moustache.  The   meaning of poll as a vote came about, as a poll was originally a head count.  It now rarely survives in its original meaning although the bit between the ears on a horse or cow  is called a poll, and a poll axe wasn’t used for chopping trees. 

They are much smaller than most people realise.  For comparison a House Sparrow weighs 34g whereas this chap weighs just 11g.  This was taken in the Peak District in September.

Likes(27)Dislikes(1)