Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Waxwings (Bombycillidae)

Codes: Common Name: BOWA Scientific Name: BOMGAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178529

Breeding Location:

Forest, Marshes

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Fairly common to uncommon, Widespread in range in winter.

Egg Color:

Pale blue gray with black markings at large end

Number of Eggs:

2 - 6

Incubation Days:

14 - 15

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Sticks, lichen, stems and grass., Lined with mosses and fine materials.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Bohemian Waxwing: Large waxwing with gray upperparts, pink-gray crest, black mask and chin, and gray underparts. Wings are black with sharp yellow or white line and red spots on primaries (visible when folded). Tail is dark and yellow-tipped with cinnamon-brown undertail coverts. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller with white throat, streaked underparts, and reduced crest.

Range and Habitat

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

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Readily Eats

Apple Slices, Currants, Canned Peas

Vocalization

Bohemian Waxwing: Sings while flying, uttering continuous twitters and chatter. Call is an abrasive "scree" or "zirrrr."

Similar Species

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

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

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

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Chin

The area of the face just below the bill.

Crest

Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.

Primaries

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 codes

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.

Field Guide to Birds of North America