Yellow Hammer

Background

Despite the suggestion of the name, it is only the males of this species that appear a yellow colour. The females and immature individuals appear mainly brown. The Yellowhammer shows a change in behaviour between different seasons, found solitary during summer, and in flocks during the winter.

Habitat

An all year round resident within Europe, the Yellowhammer is most commonly found within heath and farmlands.

Diet

This species feeds on the ground, primarily eating seeds. However during the breeding season they can be seen eating invertebrates.

Predators & Threats

Whilst they are preyed upon by a number of different animal families the Yellowhammer is primarily eaten by larger birds, including but bot restricted to; the northern goshawk, lesser spotted eagles and sparrowhawks.

Facts

• They weigh as little as 30g
• They lay 2-6 eggs per clutch, and can have upto 2-3 clutches per breeding season.
• There are approximately 700,000 breeding pairs of Yellowhammer in the UK.

Best Time to Look

All year round