- Emberiza citrinella
Description
Fairly big and long-tailed with unmarked red-brown rump and elements of yellow in plumage. Mantle/back olive-brown, heavily streaked black. Bill rather small, lower mandible light blue-grey. Much white on tail-corners, often seen in flight, when looks longer-tailed than e.g. Reed Bunting. Flight in long undulations and slightly jerky. � summer: Unmistakable, having almost entirely yellow head with just a few dark markings on crown- and head-sides. Saturated yellow below, with much olive-green and red-brown on breast and with flanks streaked red-brown. � summer: Greyish-green, streaked crown, at times with a small yellow spot; grey-green head-side with no yellow. Underparts paler yellow, with greyish-black streaking on breast and flanks. � Autumn: often told by intimation of deep yellow on head and underparts, and by olive-green and red-brown colour on breast. rather like summer. 1st-winter often has almost wholly brown and streaked head and buff-white underparts with only faint yellow tinge; note: yellow on underparts can be hard to spot in field.
Identification
Location: Morston Downs, Norfolk L 15.5�17 cm. Breeds commonly in farmland, in bushy areas, woodland edge and wooded pasture, in glades and clearings, on heaths and coastal meadows. Predominantly resident, but many Scandinavian birds migrate Oct�mid Nov to North Sea countries, returning Mar/Apr. Wary without being really shy, usually flushes early; often gains height, perches high in tree or drops into thick bushes.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Emberiza citrinella (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
