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
_______________________________ 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
_____________________________ 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
___________________________ 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