{"id":29612,"date":"2023-07-31T13:31:05","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T11:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=149783"},"modified":"2023-07-31T13:39:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T11:39:34","slug":"yellowhammer-guide-song-appearance-breeding-and-facts","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/yellowhammer-guide-song-appearance-breeding-and-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellowhammer guide: song, appearance, breeding and facts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The yellowhammer is one of the easiest buntings to identify in the UK. Learn all about this famous songster, including what it looks like, its summer song and its breeding behaviour with your expert guide <\/p>

By Dominic Couzens\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 31 July 2023 at 11:31 AM<\/p>

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There aren\u2019t many buttery-yellow birds in Britain, so the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella<\/em>) is probably our best-known bunting.<\/p>\n

The yellowhammer is common all year round, with 680,000 breeding pairs in the UK, though numbers are declining (Red List of Conservation Concern).<\/p>\n

In this guide we take a closer look at the yellowhammer, revealing what they look like, their song, when and where to see them, favoured habitat, distribution and breeding.<\/p>\n

Interested in learning more about Britain\u2019s songbirds<\/a>? Check out our guides to blackcaps<\/a>, reed warblers<\/a> and willow warblers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yellowhammer identification<\/h2>\n

The yellowhammer is an easy bird to identify. There is always some yellow on the plumage, especially around the head, and although the males are the brightest coloured, females also look yellow, albeit streakier.<\/p>\n

Look out too for an unusual feature, a chestnut rump (the back above the tail). The tail is quite long and has white outer feathers, like many small birds.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowhammer<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Yellowhammer singing its \u201ca little bit of bread and no cheeeese\u201d song\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Yellowhammer song<\/h2>\n

The males adorn the tops of hedgerows throughout the country, singing a famous ditty that is usually rendered \u201ca little bit of bread and no cheeeese.\u201d The \u201ccheese\u201d section, which is sometimes missed out, sounds rather like the bird is breathing out heavily.<\/p>\n

It is one of the sounds of summer, and on a long day in July may be repeated no less than 7000 times; even in August 3482 phrases have been counted!<\/p>\n