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Twites are small finches. Their plumage is highly cryptic and dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different, at least during the breeding season. Male Twites in breeding plumage have a pink rump. Otherwise both sexes are the same: Apart from a buff chin, the rest of the front is (off-)white, with copious grey-brown streaking that is densest on chest and flanks, petering out towards the belly. With the exception of a buff area around each eye, the rest of the head is brown, heavily streaked with dark-grey. The upperwing coverts are similarly streaked, while the streaking on the mantle is dark-grey on a white background. Flight and tail feathers are dark-grey to black with conspicuous white edge lining. Outside the breeding season, both sexes retain their overall streaked appearance, but they are much browner, with only the belly, vent and undertail remaining white. The irises are dark-brown. The bill of both sexes is grey while breeding, yellow with a dark tip in eclipse. Legs and feet are dark-grey to black. First-winter Twites resemble females.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Twite is available HERE .

There are in total 9 extant races of Twites, some of which are sedentary, while others are migratory. For details please refer to a field guide. Altogether, their highly disjunct range spans from western and northern Europe to southern central Asia (Mongolia and south-western China).

In Europe there are two extant races of Twites. Race "pipilans" resides in northern Ireland and northern Britain, while nominate race "flavirostris" occupies northern Scandinavia and north-western Russia.

During the breeding season Twites have a preference for moors and coastal heath. Outside the breeding season, they tend to flock e.g. to tilled fields, coastal habitats, and also rubbish tips.

Race "pipilans"