The yellowhammer

The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) was introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800s and has spread throughout the country. They feed on seeds and are especially fond of grass seeds, so they like open country where grass seeds abound: paddocks and low scrub. Because grass seeds are their preferred diet, they don’t appear to compete with any native species. This yellowhammer was photographed at the Kumaras, at the top end of the Motueka sandspit, where there’s a fair bit of grass seed for them to feast upon. Another name for the yellowhammer is the yellow bunting, where a bunting refers to a seed-eating finch-like bird. The name yellowhammer is thought to come from the German word for bunting, ammer. Yellow-ammer becomes yellowhammer, so nothing to do with hardware or home maintenance.