Page 400 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BUNTINGS
Order Passeriformes Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza citrinella
Yellowhammer mixed rufous, buff,
and black back
MALE
(SUMMER)
yellow head with
rufous dusky stripes
rump
black and rufous
streaks on back
MALE less yellow
(SUMMER) on head
yellow pale cheek
underside spot
with fine
dark streaks
darker
IN FLIGHT back
more
black tail rusty streaked
with white flanks below
sides
MALE FEMALE
(SPRING)
he common bunting of farmland and bushy heaths, the
TYellowhammer is typical of warm, sunny days when the males FLIGHT: undulating, quite fast; steep rise from
sing non-stop. In winter, they gather in small groups, or mix with ground when disturbed; bursts of wingbeats.
other buntings and finches, roaming weedy fields or ploughed SINGING MALE
land, searching for seeds. Small parties of Yellowhammers The Yellowhammer’s sharp
draw attention to themselves by their sharp calls. In flight, they song is characteristic of
show the typical long, white-edged black tail of buntings. warm summer days on
VOICE Call sharp, quick, metallic, spluttering tsik, tzit, or twitik; gorsy heaths.
song sharp, thin, metallic trill with one or two longer, higher or
lower notes at end, ti-ti-ti-ti-
ti-ti-ti-ti-teee-tyew, or simpler
quick trill.
NESTING Hair-lined nest of
grass and straw on ground in
base of bush or below bank;
3–5 eggs; 2 or 3 broods; WINTER FLOCK
Seeds attract
April–July. Yellowhammers in
FEEDING Eats some insects winter, and they feed
in summer, otherwise mostly in dense groups where
takes seeds from ground. they are still common.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in most of Europe except
REED BUNTING 2 ORTOLAN BUNTING 32; for Iceland, N Scandinavia,
similar to 2; dull rump; see p.397
see p.395 pale S Spain, and S Portugal.
white pink Widespread in S and W Europe
eye-ring bill in winter. On upland pastures,
yellow browner heaths, farmland with hedges,
body and coastal grassland.
darker, less
CIRL BUNTING 32; dull olive yellow Seen in the UK
rump; different call; see p.399 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 16cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 23–29cm (9–11 1 ⁄2in) Weight 24–30g ( 7 ⁄8 –1 1 ⁄16oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan 2–3 years Status Secure†
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