yellowhammer Hear it!

yellowhammer Definition

yellow·hammer (-ham′ər)

noun

  1. a small European bunting (Emberiza citrinella) having a yellow head, neck, and breast
  2. ☆ yellow-shafted flicker

Etymology: altered by folk etym. < earlier yelambre < OE geolu, yellow + amore, a kind of bird, akin to OHG amaro, emmer, a kind of finch that fed on emmer

yellowhammer Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • include: On spring days you should hear skylarks, and may see a number of farmland birds including the yellowhammer, kestrel and pheasants.
  • hear: From behind, one could hear yellowhammers singing on the scrubby areas across the road.

Adjective modifier

  • male: At least seven male Yellowhammers were singing around the southern ( back ) entrance along with three Willow Warblers.
  • only: The only Yellowhammers in our area seem to be at Hutton Roof and I managed to see one on the 25th.

Modifies a noun

  • population: The most recent breeding survey results indicate that the yellowhammer population is now lower than at any time in the past thirty years.