Species Focus - Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

From spring onwards, male Yellowhammers can be heard singing, often on top of a hedge or a bush. Their song is characteristic, often transcribed as “a little bit of bread and no cheese”. Male Yellowhammers are striking birds, with a bright yellow head and underparts. The back is brown with black streaks, and they have a chestnut rump. In flight, they show white outer tail feathers. The female has paler yellow underparts with greyish-black streaks. Yellowhammers are usually found in open areas with some trees or shrubs. They are fairly easy to identify, though watch out for Siskin (Spinus spinus) which can look fairly similar.

Yellowhammers were formerly a common and widespread bird in North Wales, but their numbers have declined greatly over the last thirty years and the species is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. Their distribution in North Wales is now patchy, and they are no longer found in some areas where they were formerly common. However, it is possible that the species is hanging on in some areas where it has not been reported recently. Please submit your records, ideally with photos, to the Cofnod ORS or the LERC Wales App.