Bombycilla garrulus
1st-winter female
With its plump body and striking crest, the Bohemian Waxwing could only be confused with its cousin the Cedar Waxwing; subtle plumage differences allow separation. The sexes are subtly dissimilar. Adult males are mainly pinkish buff, palest and grayest on the belly. The head has a crest, a black mask, and a black throat. The dark primaries have white and yellow edges, the secondaries have red wax-like projections, and there is a white bar at the base of the primary coverts. The rump is gray, the undertail is chestnut, and the dark tail has a broad yellow tip. Adult females are similar to an adult male but with a less extensive black throat, and a narrower yellow tip to the tail. Juveniles are streaked buff; by winter their plumage is similar to an adult but they lack the red wax-like projections and pale margins to the primaries.
The Bohemian Waxwing is present in its northern summer breeding range from April to September. Outside the breeding season it forms roaming flocks that move south; the winter range extends well beyond the zone where birds are usually present year-round. In years when berries are in short supply, flocks move much farther afield.
immature
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 8.25 in (21 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates in summer; berries in winter
HABITAT Boreal forests in summer; anywhere with berry-bearing bushes in winter
STATUS Widespread and common summer visitor; nomadic in winter, when it has an unpredictable range
VOICE Does not sing. Call is a vibrant trill
