YELOWHAMMER

Yellowhammers are resident in Britain . They are at their most abundant in lowland farmland, but the population has suffered a massive decline in the last 25 years. They are very scarce in upland areas, and have disappeared from some altogether.

The “little bit of bread and no cheese” song is distinctive, and provides the best way of locating male birds, which are mainly a streaked canary yellow, with chestnut brown back, wings and tail. Females are more dull brown, and much less yellow.

They mainly inhabit tilled farmland with mature hedgerows. Trees provide song posts and additional sources of food, but they build their own nests, on or near the ground, so they do not need holes in trees for nesting. The breeding season starts in April. The first clutch is usually 3-5 eggs, and incubation takes 11-14 days. Chicks leave the nest after 9-14 days, but fly only after about 16 days. Two, and sometimes three broods, are raised.

Yellowhammer has suffered a massive long-term decline, mainly from the mid 1980s onwards. The population decreased nationally by an estimated 53% between 1970 and 1999, resulting in the species being added to the Red List in The Population Status Of Birds In The UK : Birds of Conservation Concern: 2002–2007. The decline has continued, with an on-going reduction of around 22% over the 11 years 1994–2004.

The decline is largely attributed to agricultural intensification reducing the supply of food in winter (large seeds from stubbles and weeds), though removal or severe trimming of hedgerows will also have contributed.

In Shropshire , the distribution map on the previous page from The Atlas (1992) showed it bred throughout the County, except in urban and moorland areas. The more recent map, showing distribution in the last five years, shows the same broad pattern, although there has almost certainly been a population reduction in the last 15 years. There are no reliable figures for the County, but the population in the West Midlands has declined by an estimated 22% in the 11 years 1994 – 2004. As the birds are highly sedentary, they are likely to breed in the same areas where they are seen outside the breeding season.  Most records from other times of the year have corresponding breeding season records, but a few do not. Such records are shown on the 2000 – 04 Map as small blue dots.

Conservation action to benefit this species includes restoration of mature hedgerows, including trees, and ensuring a good supply of seeds in winter, through creation of unsprayed conservation field edges and headlands, and, ideally, leaving over-winter stubbles.

return to maps page