Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) lives in open woodland across Europe and Asia. It feeds on seeds and insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A real field recording of the Yellowhammer, made in the wild.
Yellowhammers start nesting in April-May, laying three to five speckled eggs that each weigh about 2.9 g. The mother sits on them for 12-14 days, then both parents feed the hatchlings until they leave the nest after another 11-13 days. Raising two or three broods a year.
Northern yellowhammers can travel up to 500 km (310 mi) to find milder winter grounds, while eastern populations migrate even farther to Iraq, Iran and Central Asia. Such long-distance movements spread the species across a 12.9 million km² (5 million sq mi) breeding range.
The IUCN counts between 54 million and 93 million yellowhammers in Europe alone, suggesting a total Eurasian population of 73-186 million birds. Even though numbers are slipping in western Europe, the sheer scale of the species means it remains listed as Least Concern.
At just 16-16.5 cm long and weighing only 20-36.5 g, the yellowhammer packs the size of a sparrow into a wingspan of 23-29.5 cm, making it one of the larger European buntings.
In the UK, just over half of adult yellowhammers survive each year, about 54 %, and juvenile survival is similarly low at 53 %. Although the average lifespan is only three years, some individuals have been recorded living more than 13 years.
Sources
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In the sun-drenched meadows and hedgerows, the yellowhammer weaves a vibrant thread through the landscape, its bright yellow plumage flashing like a ray of sunlight as it flits between the tall grasses and wildflowers. With a gentle, lilting song, the yellowhammer announces its presence, a warm and inviting melody that fills the air as it goes about its daily routine, foraging for seeds and insects with an effortless, fluid motion. As it moves through its domain, the yellowhammer embodies a sense of carefree joy, its very existence a testament to the beauty and simplicity of life in the natural world.
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