🐦 A yellow bird 🪶 A woodpecker

yellowhammer

9.4

A small European songbird with males that have bright yellow feathers

noun
/ˈjɛloʊˌhæmər/

: escribano amarillo

Birdwatchers were excited to spot a flock of yellowhammers in the hedgerow.

Examples

I spotted a bright yellowhammer in the garden.
The yellowhammer can be recognized by the streaks on its brown back and its vibrant yellow head.
A bright male yellowhammer perched on the fence, singing its distinctive song.
The yellowhammer is known for its cheerful song.
While hiking in the woods, I was delighted to see a bright yellow yellowhammer perched on a branch.
In the garden, the cheerful song of the yellowhammer filled the air, blending with the sounds of nature.
The birdwatcher carefully noted the vibrant yellow color of the yellowhammer that flitted through the trees.

Synonyms

bunting

vsyellowhammer

3 7.7

A small songbird that eats seeds and lives in Europe and North America

means one specific European species rather than the whole family group

Emberiza citrinella

vsyellowhammer

Specialized

9.9

A small European bird whose male has bright yellow feathers

is the everyday common name rather than formal scientific label

yellow bunting

vsyellowhammer

8.1

A small European bird whose male has bright yellow feathers

refers to the same bird but uses the more familiar common name

Surface Forms

yellowhammer singular

yellowhammers plural

Morphology

yellowhammer = yellow + hammer (semi-transparent) = yellow + hammer

Compound of 'yellow' + 'hammer' referring to the yellow-plumaged bunting; the colour component is clear but 'hammer' as the classifier for the bird is not literally the tool and may not be predictable.

Etymology

Yellowhammer for the European bird also joins yellow and hammer: yellow means 'yellow' for the male's bright head, and hammer probably comes from the idea of a sharp, hammering song. So the name points to a small yellow bird you can remember by its bright colour and strong, quick song.