A small, mostly seed-eating finch with brown plumage. In Britain and Ireland it breeds in northern uplands, and some birds move to southern coasts in winter.
It is a small brown finch with dark streaks and a yellow bill. Males have a pink rump; females have a brown rump.
Twites in riparian shrubland at 3,400 metres on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau built nests in shrubs including Hippophae. Researchers studied breeding in 2024 and 2025. Egg laying took place from late June to mid-July; incubation lasted about 12 days, and the nestling period about 12 days, fitting the short warm season.
Clutches averaged four to five eggs. Females incubated, and both parents fed the young. Researchers monitored 50 nests over two years and compared breeding traits across locations. Twites in harsher high-elevation settings tended to lay fewer but larger eggs. Keeping riparian shrubs intact can support breeding during the short seasonal window.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
These Twites nested in riverside shrubs and laid eggs during a short period from late June to mid-July. Retaining shrubs and monitoring nests during this window can help protect breeding sites.