The Yellowhammer lives largely on seeds, above all grass seeds and spilt grain, which it looks for on the ground. During the breeding season it also takes plenty of insects, which are important for the young. In winter Yellowhammers gather in flocks on stubble fields and around farmsteads, and they readily visit bird tables and spilt grain on the ground. The stout, conical bill is well suited to husking seeds, and because winter food in the form of spilt grain and weed seeds has become scarcer in modern agriculture, this season in particular has become a bottleneck for the species.