   #copyright

Yellowhammer

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                  iYellowhammer

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Passeriformes
   Family:  Emberizidae
   Genus:   Emberiza
   Species: E. citrinella

                                Binomial name

   Emberiza citrinella
   Linnaeus, 1758

   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.

   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 from small flocks of birds.

   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.

   The familiar, if somewhat monotonous, song of the cock is A little bit
   of bread and no cheese.

   Its natural diet consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise
   seeds. The nest is on the ground. 3-6 eggs are laid, which show the
   hair-like markings characteristic of those of buntings.

   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.

   The unrelated Yellow-shafted Flicker, Colaptes auratus, is also known
   as the yellowhammer in Alabama, the state bird.

Gallery

   Yellowhammer

               Yellowhammer
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhammer"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
