The yellowhammer is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern subspecies is partially migratory. The conspicuous yellow bird has inspired poems by Robert Burns and John Clare, and its characteristic song has influenced musical works by Beethoven and Messiaen.
About Yellowhammer in brief
The yellowhammer is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern subspecies is partially migratory, with much of the population wintering further south. The male yellowhammer has a bright yellow head, streaked brown back, chestnut rump, and yellow under parts. The female is less brightly coloured, and more streaked on the crown, breast, and flanks. After breeding, males acquire more yellow in the plumage each time they moult, replacing some of the moult feathers. The conspicuous yellow bird has inspired poems by Robert Burns and John Clare, and its characteristic song has influenced musical works by Beethoven and Messiaen. The yellowhammer was described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae under its current scientific name. Changes to agricultural practices have led to population declines in western Europe, but its large numbers and huge range mean that the yellow hammer is classed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are currently 3 recognised subspecies of yellowhammer: the nominate subspecies E. c. citrinella, the eastern form E. c. caliginosa, and the western form E cerythys corythys. Its song is very similar to that of its closest relative, the pine bunting, with which it interbreeds.
The English name is thought to have come from Ammer, another German word for a Bunting, and was first recorded in 1553 as yelambre. The bird family Emberizidae contains around 300 seed-eating species, the majority of which are found in the Americas, although the genus Emberiza, with more than 40 members, is confined to the Old World. Its diet is mainly seeds, supplemented by invertebrates in thebreeding season. The juvenile is much duller and less yellow than the adults, and often often has a paler rump. Juveniles have a complete moult not long after moulting, which takes at least eight weeks to replace the head, body, and some covert feathers. It is usually darker and less streaked than the male of the nominate subspecies, and usually darker than the female. Its wingspan is 23–29.5 cm, and it weighs 20–36. 5 g. It is common in open areas with some shrubs or trees, and forms small flocks in winter. It has a pattern of fine dark lines, giving rise to the old name for the bird of \”scribble lark\” or \”writing lark\”. The female incubates the eggs for 12–14 days prior to hatching, and broods the altricial downy chicks until they fledge 11–13 days later. Both adults feed the chick in the nest and raise two or three broods each year. The nest may be raided by rodents or corvids.
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This page is based on the article Yellowhammer published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 06, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
