Waxwing

The (Bohemian) Waxwing is an unmistakable, elegant songbird with soft, silky plumage in shades of pinkish-buff and grey, topped with a pointed crest. A black mask runs through the eye and a black throat patch sets off the face, while the tail is tipped bright yellow. Its name comes from the small red, wax-like tips on the secondary wing feathers, a feature unique among songbirds.

Waxwings are highly nomadic outside the breeding season, forming flocks that erupt southward in years of poor berry crops in the north, sometimes appearing in large numbers far outside their normal winter range, often stripping ornamental berry bushes bare within hours.

Key field marks

• Pointed crest, pinkish-grey silky body plumage
• Black mask through the eye and black throat patch
• Bright yellow tail tip and waxy red tips on the wing feathers
• Chestnut undertail coverts and white/yellow wing markings

Similar species

No other bird shares the crest, mask, and yellow-tipped tail combination; Cedar Waxwing (a related North American species) is smaller, yellower-bellied, and lacks the chestnut undertail coverts and white wing markings of the Bohemian Waxwing.

Range

Breeds across the boreal forest belt of northern Europe, Asia, and North America; winters variably to the south, with the extent of movement depending heavily on berry crop abundance.

Habitat

Breeds in coniferous and mixed forest near water. In winter, found wherever berries are abundant, including gardens, hedgerows, orchards, and parks, often visiting suburban areas.

Migration

An irruptive migrant: in years when northern berry crops fail, large flocks move far south of the normal wintering range in search of food, a phenomenon that can bring waxwings to areas they rarely visit.

Behavior

Highly social outside the breeding season, moving in tight, fast-flying flocks that descend on berry-laden trees and bushes, often stripping them within a short time before moving on.

Voice

A distinctive high, trilling "sirrrr" call, often the first sign of an approaching flock; lacks a complex song.

Feeding

Feeds almost entirely on berries and fruit outside the breeding season, switching to insects, caught in flycatcher-like sallies, during summer to feed itself and its young.

Nesting and breeding

Builds a cup nest of twigs and moss in a conifer, laying 4-6 eggs. Breeding success and timing are closely tied to insect abundance in the boreal forest.