Yellowhammers, Emberiza citrinella
Buntings
The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
The unrelated Yellow-shafted Flicker, Colaptes auratus, is also known as the yellowhammer in the Southern United States, especially Alabama, where it is the state bird.
Distribution / Habitat:
It breeds across Europe and much of Asia. The Yellowhammer was also introduced to New Zealand in 1862 and is now common and widespread there. It is probably more abundant in New Zealand now than in Europe where it has been in serious decline. In Europe and Asia most birds are resident, but some far northern birds migrate south in winter. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees.
In the winter they gather together to form small flocks of birds.
Description:
The Yellowhammer is a robust 15.5-17cm long bird, with a thick seed-eater's bill. The male has a bright yellow head, yellow underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, and more streaked below.
Call / Song:
The familiar, if somewhat monotonous, song of the cock is A little bit of bread and no cheese.
It has been claimed by Karl Czerny, that the Yellowhammer's song was the inspiration for the "fate" motif of the Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Diet:
Its natural diet consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.
Breeding:
The nest is on the ground. 3-6 eggs are laid, which show the hair-like markings characteristic of those of buntings.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Emberiza citrinella. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
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