Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella   [Linnaeus, 1758]

Jump to: Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

For details point at or click the button; for sources point at the button

   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae
BTO Codes: Y., YELHA EURING No: 18570
Number in Britain: 792 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: caliginosa (R), citrinella (RW) recorded in Britain (of 3 subsp. in the world)
.
Length: 16 cm Wingspan: 26 cm Weight: M/F: 31 g    
Scientific name from: old German: embritz=bunting and L. citreus=of the citrus tree (i.e. yellow)
World Distribution: BREEDS: Europe, w&c Asia, WINTERS: south to n Africa and east to e Asia
Habitat: Grassland, farmland
Diet: Grass seeds, esp cereal grain, summer, invertebrates
TitBit: The rendition of the familiar song of the Yellowhammer as a "little bit of bread and no cheese" was made popular by Enid Blyton in her children's novels.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 792 thousand territories in 2000
    First Record: Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: caliginosa RED (Recent Decline), citrinella RED (Recent Decline)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Arable Farmland
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 14 to 25 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(III),Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch
Results from the Winter Farmland Bird Survey

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 21 x 16 mm Egg Weight: 2.9 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 158
Clutch Size: 3 - 4 eggs 3.44 ± 0.70 (2 - 6) N = 1607
Incubation: 13- 14 days 13.03 ± 1.40 (10.5 - 15.5) N = 1607   by the: Female
Fledging: 13 - 16days 14.29 ± 2.16 (10 - 16.5) N = 2185 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 29 May (2 May - 22 Jul)
Number of Broods: 2(3)
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.536 ± 0.028    (M:0.562 ± 0.048; F:0.072 )      
Juvenile Survival: 0.529 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 11 years 9 months 28 days (set in 1982)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: A (pulli B)
Wing Length Adult: 85.7 ± 3.4     Range 70.0 - 98.0 mm, (N = 11446)
Juvenile: 84.9 ± 3.1     Range 72.0 - 95.0 mm, (N = 4078)
Male: 87.6 ± 2.9     Range 70.0 - 98.0 mm, (N = 6804)
Female: 83.1 ± 2.3     Range 72.0 - 94.0 mm, (N = 4388)
Weight Adult: 25.90 ± 1.72 Range 19.10 - 32.60 g , (N =9489)
Juvenile: 25.6 ± 1.7 Range 19.4 - 32.2 . , (N =3542)
Male: 26.16 ± 1.69 Range 19.10 - 32.50 g , (N =5682)
Female: 25.52 ± 1.67 Range 19.20 - 32.60 g , (N =3605)
Seasonal: Summer 26.11 ± 1.76 (N = 2834)   Autumn 26.34 ± 1.78 (N = 845)   Winter 26.21 ± 1.71 (N = 17451)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

 
Gaelic: Buidheag-bhealaidh Welsh: Melyr yr Eithin
Danish: Gulspurv Dutch: Geelgors
Finnish: Keltasirkku French: Bruant jaune
German: Goldammer Hungarian: Citromsármány
Icelandic: Gultittlingur Irish: Buíóg
Italian: Zigolo giallo Norwegian: Gulspurv
Polish: Trznadel zwyczajny Portuguese: Escrevedeira-amarela
Spanish: Escribano cerillo Swedish: Gulsparv
Local Names:Yellow Bunting

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
No books written recently
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
BOU Register of Avian Theses entry