Basic Description
The Bohemian Waxwing is a medium-sized bird that is approximately 7-8 inches long and weighs about 1.5 ounces. This beautiful bird has a unique appearance, with its striking black mask on the face, yellow-tipped tail feathers, and red waxy tips on its secondary feathers. The rest of its body is grayish-brown in color.
Where To Find This Bird
The Bohemian Waxwing breeds in the northernmost parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. During winter months they can be found further south throughout Canada and the United States as well as Eurasia and Japan.
Habitat
This species prefers to live in coniferous forests such as spruce or pine trees but will also inhabit mixed woodlands with fruit-bearing trees such as mountain ash.
Food
Bohemian Waxwings primarily feed on berries during the winter season when insects are scarce. They particularly enjoy fruits like mountain ash berries which ferment slightly creating an alcoholic effect that results in drunkenness for some birds who eat too many! Insects make up more than half of their diet during breeding seasons from spring through summer.
Cool Facts
One interesting fact about this species of waxwing is their social behavior; they gather together in large flocks to find food or communicate with one another using soft trilling calls which sound almost musical.
Another cool thing to know about these birds is their ability to store food like squirrels do by covering it with leaves or grasses before storing it away until needed later.
Finally, while many songbirds only have one molt per year where they shed old feathers for new ones, waxwings undergo two molts annually!
