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 secondaries (visible when folded). Tail is dark and yellow-tipped with cinnamon-brown undertail coverts.

Bohemian Waxwing: Widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and North America from Alaska across northern Canada. Breeds in the northern regions of Alaska and Canada. Winters south of its breeding range across the southern territories and northern states. Preferred habitats include open and coniferous woodlands.

Voice Text

"scree", "zirrrr"

• 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" and a "museum" of waxwings.

• Cedar Waxwing

Waxwings (Bombycillidae)

ORDER

The waxwings are one of the one hundred eighteen families of birds in the order PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez); a large taxonomic order that includes silky-flycatchers, bulbuls, and babblers.

FAMILY TAXONOMY

There are three species of waxwings in one genus in the Bombycillidae (pronounced bom-bih-SILL-uh-dee) family, a group found in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere.

NORTH AMERICA

North America has two species of waxwings in one genus. These two species are the Bohemian Waxwing and the Cedar Waxwing.

KNOWN FOR

Both the Cedar and the Bohemian Waxwings are mostly known for the small red structures on their secondary feathers of the wings that resemble drops of wax.

PHYSICAL

Members of this family are small birds with soft plumage, rather short tails, long wings, and heads with wispy crests. They have thin bills with fairly wide gapes, and short legs adapted to perching in trees and bushes.

COLORATION

The waxwings are plumaged in warm browns, russet, and grays. They also have black coloration in the wings, on the tail, and markings on the face that give them a masked appearance. In addition to the red markings on their wings, they also have yellow on the belly, in the wings, and on the tail.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

Outside of the tundra, waxwings can be found in most areas of the continent with the Cedar Waxwing being the most widespread species. Breeding in open woodlands in the northern half of the United States and in much of Canada, it wanders into open and thinly wooded areas of the southern United States during the winter. The Bohemian Waxwing also wanders in the winter but mostly to the northwestern United States from its breeding grounds in Alaska and northwestern Canada.

MIGRATION

Depending upon availability of food sources, waxwings can migrate short or even long distances to Central America.

HABITS

Waxwings are very social birds almost always found in flocks that wander in search of fruiting trees, especially those with berries. They eat fruit by gleaning it from the vegetation when perched or plucking it while hovering. They also eat insects, often catching them in flight. These arboreal birds do not come to the ground and are often heard giving their high pitched lisping calls as they fly overhead.

CONSERVATION

There are apparently plenty of fruiting trees available for waxwings, as neither species is threatened.

INTERESTING FACTS

Waxwings are among the most frugivorous of North American birds. Instead of regurgitating seeds like most birds, they excrete them in their waste, thus helping with seed dispersal. In the fall, they can get also become intoxicated by eating too many fermented berries.

Author

Artist

Michael Oberhofer