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Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Waxwings (Bombycillidae)
Codes: Common Name: BOWA Scientific Name: BOMGAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178529
Least Concern
 
Bohemian Waxwing Breeding Male
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Bohemian Waxwing: Large waxwing with gray upperparts, pink-gray crest, black mask and chin, and gray underparts. The wings are black with a sharp yellow or white line and red spots on primaries (visible when folded). Tail is dark and yellow-tipped with cinnamon-brown undertail coverts.

Range and Habitat

Bohemian Waxwing: Widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and North America; preferred habitats include open woodlands.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"Scree", "zirrrr".

Interesting Facts

 Bohemian Waxwings are susceptible to intoxication and even death due to eating fermented berries.

 In the common name, Bohemian refers to their nomadic life style in search of fruit and berries; Waxwing, refers to the bright red bead-like tips of the secondary feathers on its wings, which look like drops of sealing wax. 

 The genus name, Bombycilla, comes from the Latin Bombyx (silk) and cilla (tail) and refers to the silky-soft plumage of the bird, The species name garrulus means 'noisy' or 'quarrelsome'.

 A group of waxwings are collectively known as "an ear-full of waxwings", and a "museum of waxwings."


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Splitbar
Range Map for Bohemian Waxwing

Related Birds

Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Phainopepla
Northern Cardinal
.
Family Waxwing (Bombycillidae)_blue
Species Bombycilla garrulus
Length6.25 - 8.25 Inches
Wingspan13.5 Inches

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing: Large waxwing with gray upperparts, pink-gray crest, black mask and chin, and gray underparts. The wings are black with a sharp yellow or white line and red spots on primaries (visible when folded). Tail is dark and yellow-tipped with cinnamon-brown undertail coverts.

● Song: "Scree", "zirrrr".

● Foraging & Feeding: Bohemian Waxwing: Eats mostly fruits and insects, especially insect pests; also drinks sap. Often forages close to other birds on the ground and in trees.

● Breeding & nesting: Bohemian Waxwing: Two to six pale blue gray eggs, marked with black at larger end, are laid in a nest made of sticks, lichens, stems, and grass, lined with mosses and fine plant materials, and built far out on a horizontal limb, from 4 to 50 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 14 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Bohemian Waxwing: Cedar Waxwing is smaller and browner, has white undertail coverts, and lacks black, yellow, and white on wings.

Flight Pattern

Strong rapid flight with a series of rapid wing beats alternating with wings pulled briefly to sides.
Bohemian Waxing Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Bohemian Waxwing: Widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and North America; preferred habitats include open woodlands.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationFairly common to uncommon, Widespread in range in winter.
MigrationMigratory
Weight2 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
Undertail covertsX
Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
ChinX
The area of the face just below the bill.
CrestX
Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.
PrimariesX
The primaries are the flight feathers specialized for flight. They are attached to the "hand" equivalent part of the wing.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX