#emberizidae

British Yellowhammer

I continue to be irked by how many of the birds I saw in Aotearoa are introduced species. Doubly irked when I couldn't get good photos of ones that were at least new to me. This one was one of a trio squabbling on the side of the road at Earthquakes, before they took off in different directions.

Photo of a male by Alan Vernon, from Wiki, taken on the North Island.

Emberiza is derived from the Old German Embritz, a bunting, and citrinella from the Italian for 'small yellow'. The English common name is thought to have come from Ammer, another German word for a bunting. caliginosa is Latin for "misty," "gloomy," or "dark".

The three subspecies are native to Eurasia from the British Isles to Lake Baikal, and this British one introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Funnily enough I've never seen it in Australia, despite the number of other introduced species that thrive here. They mostly eat seeds.

So closely related to the Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos that they respond to each others courtship songs, although apparently females of both prefer to Yellowhammer's take on the tune, which may explain why the Yellowhammer tends to outnumber the Pine Buntings where their ranges overlap.

Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)