Educate Yourself About the Bohemian Waxwing and Other Waxwings
Bohemian Waxwing
The Bohemian Waxwing has a brown crest, striking black mask and chin bib, stubby bill, gray body, with an upright posture, white on wings, waxy red tips on secondaries, dark wings with white and yellow bars, rust-colored undertail, and with yellow at the tip. Its length is 8in (20cm) The wingspan is 12-14in (30-36cm) Its voice is a quit song of thrilling and wheezing, call is a trilling “sirr”. Their eggs are pale blue or green with some squiggly lines, and many blackish dots, with 1 clutch consisting of 4-6 or (2-6) eggs. The female incubates for about 14-15 days, and fledging time is around 14-15 days as well. Both male and female presumably feed their young. Male and female look alike.
The mysterious waxy substance of bright red droplets on the tips of the secondary wing feathers, found on both the male and female has baffled scientists for years on what purpose they might have. One theory is that it may serve as an indication of age, and also have something to do with mate choice, since second-year birds lack the red wax.
You will find that waxwings travels in flocks of a dozen or more, communicating with each other trough high, tin notes as they navigate among the tree tops, or flying high in the sky. They will descend on insect infested trees, and berry bushes, and methodically clean off the pest and berries. Sometimes they will gather in groups in a tree near a stream and fly out to nab mayflies that are hovering in swarms over it, to feast on.
These birds can survive on a diet consisting of mostly fruit, and this is possible because of their large liver they have adapted due to such large fruit intakes, witch makes it possible for them to convert sugar into energy.
They will readily feast on fruits from junipers, and mountain ash trees, and in spring time they consume mosquitoes, midges, sap, and flowers. The Bohemian Waxwing is also known to, by using its high notes, to disperse flocks of territorial mockingbirds, and robins that are defending big food sources, like crabapple trees.
The Bohemian Waxwing nests in the far North, and dropping into the west in winter time, but sometimes they can be found elsewhere across the country, usually together with other Cedar Waxwing, and robin flocks. The male and female will build their cup-shaped nest together witch consist of grass, twigs, and lichen, and lining it with soft grass.
These birds, like many others from the far north are often very tame, and can even land on your head, if you are lucky, or “unlucky” enough. There have been sights of waxwings lined up on a branch, passing a single berry from beak to beak, back and forth down the line, just like any kids game. Next time anybody sees that, please capture it on film if at all possible, it has to be a valuable investment.
If you like to attract the Bohemian Waxwing, or the Cedar Waxwing (which is smaller, and can be found roaming across the U.S. to Canada, staying in mostly northern parts of the states, and flying southward for the winter), to your lovely bird feeding garden.
Plant berry-producing bushes like cherries (wild and cultivated) witch they have an extra passion for, and are called the “cherry bird” for that reason. They also enjoy Mulberries hollies, crabapples, hawthorns, elderberries, just about any kind actually that hang on a tree throughout the winter. An important thing to remember is not to plant these trees to close to a road or highway, since they can get somewhat drunk and disoriented when feasting on fermented fruits, and cause a traffic accident.
