Afghanistan (NB), Albania (B), Andorra (B) (NB), Armenia (B), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Belarus (B) (NB), Belgium (B) (NB), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B) (NB), Bulgaria (B) (NB), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB), Cyprus, Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B) (NB) (P), Estonia (B) (NB), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (B) (NB), Georgia (B), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Hungary (B) (NB), Iran [Islamic Republic of], Iraq (NB), Ireland (B) (NB), Israel, Italy (B) (NB) (P), Jordan (NB), Kazakhstan (B), Kyrgyzstan (NB), Latvia (B) (NB), Liechtenstein (B) (NB), Lithuania (B) (NB), Luxembourg (B) (NB), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Moldova [Republic of] (B) (NB), Mongolia, Montenegro (B), Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), Norway (B), Poland (B), Portugal (B) (NB), Romania (B) (NB), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (NB), Russia (European) (B), Serbia (B), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B) (NB), Slovenia (B) (NB), Spain (B) (NB), Sweden (B) (NB), Switzerland (B) (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey (B) (NB), Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Kingdom (B) (NB), Uzbekistan.
Vagrant to Algeria, China (mainland), Egypt, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Nepal, South Korea, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates.
Yellowhammer (Emberiza) [XC791955]
by Xavier Riera from Renkum, Renkum, Gelderland, Netherlands (song)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) [XC791900]
by Jochem verweij from Gmina Osieczna (near Osieczna), Leszno County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland (song)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. Breeds in New Zealand.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Nest
Bulky platform of grass and straw, low down or on the ground in a clump of grass.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 5; white, often with a purplish or reddish tinge and marked with characteristic brownish or purplish squiggles; oval. Incubation: about 13 days; both sexes but mostly female.
Young
Fledge in 12 - 13 days.
Subspecies
Most closely related to, and perhaps forming a superspecies with, Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) and sometimes considered conspecific, but the two differ clearly in plumage, as well as in behaviour and osteology, supporting treatment as separate species. Closest species to this pair are White-capped Bunting (Emberiza stewarti) and Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus). This species and Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) hybridize extensively in western and central Siberia (across c. 3000 km in taiga and forest-steppe zone from R Ural east to L Baikal), and intensity of interbreeding is increasing, since each species is expanding its breeding range across/towards that of the other. This type of interbreeding has been described as intermediate between occasional hybridization (not influencing gene pools of parent species) and introgressive hybridization (resulting sometimes in local fusion of species). An independent recent analysis of phylogeny supports recognition of two independent species, although cytochrome b sequences are very similar, resulting in a strong indication that they are sister-species; sharing of haplotypes even in very distant locations seems to be result of introgression of mitochondrial DNA. An independent alternative study also argues that both species are older than their closest relatives and that mtDNA has recently introgressed between them, most likely as a result of selective sweep. Has been suggested that subspecies erythrogenys is only the result of hybridization with Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos). Nominate subspecies intergrades with erythrogenys in a broad zone extending from Baltic Republics, western European Russia and western Belarus south to eastern Hungary, eastern and southern Balkans and Greece.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
citrinella Linnaeus, 1758 - From western Europe to western Russia, western Balkans and Greece, wintering in northern Africa.
caliginosa Clancey, 1940 - Introduced and established on NI, SI and Stewart Island, New Zealand, spreading to Chatham, Kermadec islands and straying to Lord Howe, Campbell and Snares.
erythrogenys Brehm, CL, 1855 - Eastern Balkans, Ukraine and eastern European Russia to Trans - Baikalia, wintering in south-western and west-central Asia and Mongolia.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet