The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a Eurasian bird in the bunting
family that has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa,
and the Falkland Islands. The male has a bright yellow head, streaked
brown back, chestnut rump and yellow underparts. Other plumages are
duller versions of the same pattern. The yellowhammer is common in open
areas with some scrub or trees, and forms small flocks in winter. The
song is very similar to that of its closest relative, the pine bunting,
with which it interbreeds. Two or three times a year, the female lays
3–5 eggs patterned with a mesh of fine dark lines in a cup nest. The
bird's diet is mainly seeds, supplemented by invertebrates in the
breeding season. The nest may be raided by rodents or by birds in the
crow family, and the adults are hunted by birds of prey. Changes to
agricultural practices have led to population declines in western
Europe, but the species has a huge range and is not threatened. This
conspicuous yellow bird has inspired poems by Robbie Burns and John
Clare, and its song has influenced works by Beethoven and Messiaen.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhammer>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
Seven Years' War: Prussian forces under Frederick the Great
defeated Austrian forces under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine at
the Battle of Leuthen in Leuthen, present-day Poland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leuthen>
1876:
Fire engulfed the Brooklyn Theatre (damage pictured) in
Brooklyn, New York, killing at least 278 people, mostly due to smoke
inhalation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Theatre_fire>
1958:
Britain's first motorway, the Preston By-pass, opened to the
public.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_By-pass>
1972:
Gough Whitlam took office as the 21st Prime Minister of
Australia and formed a duumvirate with his deputy Lance Barnard, ending
23 years of Liberal-Country Party government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Whitlam>
2007:
A nineteen-year-old gunman went on a shooting spree at a
shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., killing nine people, including
himself.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westroads_Mall_shooting>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
quarry:
1. […] (uncountable) A part of the entrails of a hunted animal, given to
the hounds as a reward.
2. (uncountable) An animal, often a bird or mammal, which is hunted.
3. (countable) An object of search or pursuit.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quarry>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Deeds rather than words express my concept of the part religion
should play in everyday life. I have watched constantly that in our
movie work the highest moral and spiritual standards are upheld, whether
it deals with fable or with stories of living action.
--Walt Disney
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walt_Disney>
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