Baby cedar waxwing food


All About Cedar Waxwing Baby Birds and Nests

See photos of cedar waxwing babies and learn about cedar waxwing nests, including what the baby birds eat and when the parents build the nest.

Courtesy Donald SmithA cedar waxwing nest with babies in July in Tecumseh, Michigan

Cedar Waxwing Nests

In the breeding season, flocks break up into pairs to raise cedar waxwing babies. Waxwings often nest in small colonies. Up to a dozen pairs may build their nests within an area of just a few acres, and adults from neighboring nests may fly off together to search for food. The breeding season for waxwings is unusually late in the year, another reflection of their fruit-eating habits. In many parts of North America, cedar waxwings are among the last birds to begin nesting activities. Especially in the north, they may not start building nests until late June or even July.

Most migratory birds will return to the same places over and over. The robins that nested above your porch this summer are most likely the same ones that nested there last year. The juncos that arrive at your bird feeder in early winter will probably stay until spring. But waxwings are not so consistent. According to banding studies, individual cedar waxwings seldom nest in the same area two years in a row.

Where do waxwings go in winter?

What Do Cedar Waxwing Babies Eat?

By the time cedar waxwing eggs hatch, wild fruits are ripening. Cedar waxwing baby birds mostly eat insects for the first couple of days, but soon after the nestlings eat mostly fruit.

Learn how to attract waxwings with berries.

Courtesy Tina BellottiCedar waxwing baby

What Does a Cedar Waxwing Baby Look Like?

Cedar waxwing babies look like the adults, but without the full head crest and a less defined face mask. One Birds & Blooms reader shared her experience seeing them in her yard. “Not long after suspecting that a pair of cedar waxwings had nested nearby, we spotted a cedar waxwing baby under our plum tree. Our golden retriever, Max, went right up to it, touching his nose gently to the bird’s bill. Up in the branches, part of a damaged nest remained. After a few days, the fledgling began stretching its wings and taking short bursts of flight. As we watched, we heard another cricket-like chirp in the shrubs and realized that more than one cedar waxwing baby had survived,” says Tina Bellotti of Orchard Park, New York.

Psst—here’s what to do if you find a bird nest with eggs or a baby bird.

Courtesy Tina BellottiFledgling cedar waxwing

“Indeed, we soon saw our fledgling fly into the neighbors’ trees, accompanied by a sibling. Their familiar chirps grew fainter, and we knew they were moving on. Then one evening out on our patio, we heard those crickety calls and saw four cedar waxwings flying overhead,” says Tina Bellotti.

Learn how to tell the difference between bohemian waxwings and cedar waxwings.

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Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman

Kenn and Kimberly are the official Birds & Blooms bird experts. They are the duo behind the Kaufman Field Guide series. They speak and lead bird trips all over the world. When they're not traveling, they enjoy watching birds and other wildlife in their Northwest Ohio backyard.

What Do Cedar Waxwings Eat? (Complete Guide)

What are the cedar waxwings' favorite foods?

What berries do cedar waxwings eat?

How often do cedar waxwings eat?

How do cedar waxwings find food?

What time of day do cedar waxwings feed?

What do cedar waxwings eat in the winter?

What do cedar waxwings eat in the summer?

What do baby cedar waxwings eat?

What can I feed cedar waxwings?

Do cedar waxwings feed on the ground?

Do cedar waxwings eat seeds?

What do cedar waxwings drink?

How do you get cedar waxwings to a feeder?

Are cedar waxwings omnivores?

Cedar Waxwing Diet FAQs

Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are stunning birds - easily recognizable by their black face masks and the bright red, wax-like tip on their wings. They are widespread throughout North America - present year-round in the northern and central United States, with breeding grounds in Canada and wintering territory as far south as southern Mexico.

The cedar waxwings name is derived from its favorite food - cedar berries. These frugivores also eat a multitude of other seasonal fruits, including strawberries, holly berries, dogwood, and madrone. During the breeding season, insects fill out a vital part of the birds’ diet. You can watch them dart gracefully over ponds and streams, catching dragonflies in mid-air.

Outside of the breeding season, though, the waxwing almost exclusively eats sugary fruit. In this article, we take a deep dive into the unique diet of the cedar waxwing. We will also discuss how you can attract these beautiful birds to your yard. Read on to discover more!

A cedar waxwing eating Saskatoon berries

What are the cedar waxwings' favorite foods?

Cedar waxwings are fruit lovers. They primarily forage berries such as cedar, strawberry, serviceberry, and dogwood. Other favored fruits include crabapple, honeysuckle, mountain ash, hawthorn, mistletoe, and madrone.

During the breeding season, waxwings also eat various insects for added protein. Dragonflies, mayflies, leaf beetles, and spruce budworm are among the most commonly consumed.

What berries do cedar waxwings eat?

A plethora of berries make up the cedar waxwings diet. As their name suggests, they are fond of cedar berries, but also eat blueberries, raspberries, dogwood, strawberries, mulberries, juniper, and serviceberries - to name a few.

Because cedar waxwings are widely distributed throughout North America, the berries they eat will vary slightly based on region.

Cedar Waxwings aren't very fussy when it comes to berries

How often do cedar waxwings eat?

Cedar waxwings forage and eat frequently throughout the day. During the breeding season, both the male and female forage until the eggs are laid.

At this time, the female Cedar Waxwing primarily stays on the nest during incubation and brooding. The male forages and brings her food at regular intervals until the chicks are independent enough to be left alone for short periods.

How do cedar waxwings find food?

Cedar waxwings typically forage for fruits and berries while perched on a shrub or tree. They pick the fruit with their bill while holding onto the branch. Occasionally, the birds will hover for a short period to grab fruit.

Waxwings also forage for insects. These are caught from flight - via aerial sallies that generally take place over water sources - or directly from vegetation. While these birds forage for fruits, they also examine bark and leaves for protein-rich bugs.

Cedar Waxwing feeding on berries during the fall

What time of day do cedar waxwings feed?

Cedar waxwings are diurnal, meaning they are active throughout the day. The birds feed frequently throughout their waking hours. Exceptions occur during the breeding season as mated pairs build their nest and while females incubate or brood their young.

What do cedar waxwings eat in the winter?

Cedar waxwings feed almost exclusively on berries throughout the winter. Cedar berries are the birds' primary food source - other fruits are determined by range. In the southwest, juniper, madrone, and peppertree are vital parts of the waxwings’ diet. Farther north, the birds consume more mountain ash, mistletoe, and holly berries.

Insects are generally not available during winter, particularly for birds in the northernmost regions of their range. Those migrating south to Mexico for winter may occasionally supplement their diets with insects.

A pair of Cedar Waxwings foraging on berries during the winter

What do cedar waxwings eat in the summer?

During summer, cedar waxwings eat various fruits and berries, supplemented with insects. Strawberries, serviceberries, and mulberries are vital summer fruits for this bird. They also commonly eat cherries, raspberries, and dogwood.

Waxwings also ramp up their insect consumption during the summer breeding season. They eat vegetation and aerial-borne insects, including dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and ants. Spruce budworm larvae, elm leaf beetle, and sap-feeding insects are popular food items as well.

What do baby cedar waxwings eat?

Baby cedar waxwings primarily eat insects for the first few days after hatching. Then, the parents begin introducing fruits, which soon make up the majority of the nestlings' diet.

Cedar Waxwing feeding chicks in the nest

What can I feed cedar waxwings?

Cedar waxwings are primarily attracted to fresh fruits and berries. You can provide an assortment of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced apples. They may also eat mealworms tossed into the mix.

Because these birds mainly take food from a perch or flight, it is best to place their food on an open platform feeder or other solid surfaces off the ground.

Do cedar waxwings feed on the ground?

Cedar waxwings do not generally feed on the ground. They prefer to pick berries or glean insects while perched on vegetation. Waxwings also catch aerial-borne insects from flight.

Cedar Waxwing perched on a fence post

Do cedar waxwings eat seeds?

Cedar waxwings do not generally eat seeds directly. They are frugivores and insectivores. Fresh fruits are the birds' primary food source, supplemented by protein-rich insects throughout the breeding season.

What do cedar waxwings drink?

Cedar waxwings frequently drink water due to their sugar-heavy diets. The birds are fond of scooping up water from ponds or streams, but will also use birdbaths.

A cedar waxwing drinking water from a birdbath

How do you get cedar waxwings to a feeder?

Cedar waxwings are uncommon visitors to bird feeders. However, you may entice them to a large platform feeder with an assortment of fruits and berries.

Offering fresh fruits directly on the bush is the best way to attract these birds to your yard. If you have cedar trees, waxwings are highly likely to visit you. Blueberry, mulberry, or serviceberry bushes and dogwood or mountain ash trees are also among their favorite native foods.

Are cedar waxwings omnivores?

Cedar waxwings are not considered omnivores. They are herbivores and carnivores. Their year-round diets primarily consist of fruits, while insects are important during the summer breeding season.

A small flock of Cedar Waxwings at a backyard bird feeder

Cedar Waxwing Diet FAQs

Will cedar waxwings eat from feeders?

Cedar waxwings do not visit feeders often. However, they can be enticed to open platform feeders filled with an assortment of fresh fruit and berries.

Do cedar waxwings eat oranges?

Cedar waxwings will eat oranges. You can offer them as slices or halves.

Do cedar waxwings eat suet?

Cedar waxwings do not eat suet. You can attract them to your yard with fresh fruits and berries on a platform feeder or directly from trees and shrubs.

Do cedar waxwings eat holly berries?

Cedar waxwings will eat holly berries. These berries are a primary food source for the waxwing during winter in the eastern United States.

Cedar Waxwing feeding on Holly Berries, Texas

Do cedar waxwings eat blueberries?

Cedar waxwings love blueberries and other sweet berries. You can provide fresh blueberries for waxwings via an open platform feeder. However, the birds prefer foraging berries directly from the bush.

Do cedar waxwings eat crab apples?

Crabapples are a favored fruit of the cedar waxwing. They also commonly eat cedar berries, dogwood, mountain ash, and honeysuckle.

Do cedar waxwings eat sunflower seeds?

Cedar waxwings do not eat sunflower seeds or any other seed directly. They exclusively eat fruits, berries, and insects.

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Wintering birds waxwing description. The waxwing is a bird with a crest on its head. Drunken waxwingers. Waxwings feed in their native habitat

Waxwings are small, very beautiful songbirds common in the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. Representatives of the waxwing family are poorly understood today, so much of their life remains unknown even to biologists. A small family has only 3 species. They usually live in coniferous and birch forests; in eastern Siberia they are noted among larch forests. Waxwings do not belong to migratory birds, although in winter they roam in large flocks south of their usual habitats. During this period, they can be seen in the Crimea, in the south of France, in Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Turkey. And also in the Faroe Islands, in Iceland and Greenland.

Waxwings are well built with silky and beautiful reddish-brown plumage. On the long wings of the songbird, white and yellow segments stand out clearly, the tail is decorated with yellow canvas. The beak is straight, ending with a tiny tooth at the end. The colorful appearance of the waxwing is completed by a small crest on the head and a red undertail. Females and males are similar in appearance.

In the spring waxwings break into pairs - the nesting period begins. Nests, made of dry grass and moss, are arranged mainly on coniferous trees not high above the ground. The bottom of the bird tray is lined with needles, wool and moss. The clutch usually contains up to 5 blue eggs. In June, the female incubates the clutch, and the male provides her with food. After about 2 weeks, chicks appear, which are fed by both parents. After 15 days, the grown cubs become completely independent. Waxwings feed on insects and plant foods. But most of all, this colorful bird loves a variety of berries: mountain ash, viburnum, wild rose, lingonberry, bird cherry, juniper, mulberry.

And now, beautiful photos of the singing waxwing bird.

Waxwing dinner.

And one more thing - singing ...

And in this video, a beautiful bird close-up.

Who are these waxwings? There is a belief that the Waxwing bird is a drunkard, having pecked at fermented berries, somersaults in snowdrifts or, like a drunken man, flies, staggering from side to side, sometimes not noticing obstacles and obstacles in its path. And someone will say waxwings - bright whistles, like New Year's toys - bells, hung on the branches of mountain ash in city parks and squares, amuse passers-by with their ringing.

Waxwing Habitat

Waxwing mainly lives in forests of mixed, birch, coniferous type in the north of the Eurasian part of Russia or Europe and North America. In our open spaces, waxwing lives in taiga forests and forest-tundra.

Some people have a question - is the waxwing a wintering bird or not? Most consider these birds to be nomads, but it would be more accurate to say the waxwing is a conditionally nomadic bird. If there is a mild winter in its habitats and there is enough food, waxwings can stay and overwinter. Otherwise, the flocks leave their range and move to the southwestern areas, such as:

  • Caucasus and Crimean Peninsula in Russia,
  • Poland, France, Italy in Europe,
  • flying all the way to Mexico in North America.

In search of food (various fruits and berries), waxwings make small stops along the way, the so-called nomad camps, and then fly further. With the advent of spring, the flocks return to the north, their native land.

Description of the waxwing

The description of the waxwing bird is uncomplicated, in size our hero resembles a sparrow. The bird has a size of 18 to 23 cm and a weight of 60 to 70 g. The largest representatives of the species sometimes reach a weight of 100 g. The color is not so bright, but varied. The body of the bird has a gray-pink hue, like an overcast sky at sunset. The wings are black, interspersed with white and yellow stripes, as well as barely visible red colors.

There is a pointed crest on the head like a cap. From the body to the tail, the color scheme changes from gray to black, and ends with a bright yellow stripe, as if the brush was dipped into the paint. From the beak to the chest, the color is black in the form of a spot, around the eyes there is also a black color, reminiscent of a carnival mask.

European female and male do not differ in color, but the Black Wax lives in America. It is jet black in males and gray in females. Red eyes and long pointed tail. Some scientists classify black birds as a separate subspecies of birds.

The singing of our hero is similar to the sounds of a flute, so children's toys - whistles in the form of birds are associated with this feathered one. The conceived waxwing is a fast and nimble bird, only at the moment of nesting it behaves secretly and practically does not catch the eye. But during winter flights, our hero can be found everywhere in parks, squares, gardens.

Waxwing feeding

Most of the time the waxwing is busy searching for food, gathering in flocks of 5 to 30 or more individuals. In their native places of “permanent residence”, the diet of waxwings is varied. Various larvae, dragonflies, midges, butterflies, mosquitoes caught in flight feed the chicks with them. Of plant foods, they prefer tree buds, young shoots of plants, mistletoe, mulberries and other berries. And in the autumn, they can profit from the fruits of garden trees left over from the unharvested crop.

With the onset of cold weather and the lack of available food, waxwings, heading to the nomad camp, stop in places with an abundant harvest of various berries. Almost all berries are edible:

  • rose hips,
  • barberry,
  • juniper,
  • viburnum,
  • bird cherry,
  • hawthorn,
  • mistletoe,
  • rowan,
  • cranberries,
  • privet,
  • lilac and mulberry.

They, akin to locusts, completely sweep away all the berries hanging on the branches, greedily stuffing their crops, often hanging upside down. Waxwing will never descend to the ground and snow, unlike bullfinches, behind a fallen berry. Mistletoe - so they were called in some places where mistletoe grows, for their love for the white, juicy fruits of this plant.

While greedily eating a large number of bright and juicy berries, the body of a rather small bird cannot cope with such a large amount of food and removes excess berries from the body. After that, characteristic red spots form on the snow from pecked and undigested berries. According to these traces, one can judge the arrival of waxwings. This feature of birds can be attributed to the original method of transferring and distributing plant seeds.

Often, eating everything that is possible, fermented berries that remain on the branches get into food. Intoxicated birds lose the ability to fly, do not orient themselves in space, crash into various obstacles. A sad, frightening sight has long been interpreted as a bad omen. Most commonly, drunken waxwings are found in the spring after the birds have consumed fermented maple sap.

Classification

At the moment there are different types of waxwings, only 9 species of birds are described that form two families previously belonging to one:

  • Silk waxwings;
  • Waxwings

Silky waxwings form 2 genera and 6 species of birds, because of the greater openness, the black silky waxwing is best described.

Waxwings include one genus and 3 species, which include the most common common waxwing. Two of them are found in Russia.

  • American waxwing - the second name of the cedar, distributed in the northern United States and Canada. This individual differs from all waxwings in its yellow abdomen. Of all individuals, they have an average size with a body length of about 20 cm.
  • Amur waxwing - one of all its relatives is listed in the Red Book. It is the smallest bird of the entire species, reaching only 16 centimeters in length. Individuals of this species are distributed not only in the Far Eastern region of Russia, but also beyond its borders in Asia and Japan.

  • Common waxwing lives in our Siberian taiga. The birds are up to 25 cm long.
  • The black waxwing is the only species of all, whose color of birds of different sexes is different. The female has a gray color, and the male is black, with a bluish tint. They have an elongated tail and a pointed crest on the head. Habitat in America, mainly in the south of the continent.
  • Silk waxwing - lives in the tropics and subtropics of America. The main part is distributed in Mexico and is distinguished by the absence of a crest in comparison with other brethren.

The difference between an ordinary waxwing and a silk waxwing is only in the color and shape of the elongated tail. In all other respects: the size of the wings, legs, beak, they are similar.

Reproduction and longevity

In the spring, last year's partners do not always stay together, some waxwings form new pairs. Therefore, this bird cannot be called monogamous. Pairs create nests in the neighborhood of other pairs. At this time, during early May to early June, the birds are quiet. Neither singing nor themselves can be heard. Mating games consist in feeding the male to the female the berries he has obtained. After that, the process of mating and building housing for future offspring begins.

Waxwings try to build nests on coniferous trees, in sparse plantations, near water, at a height of about 10-12 m. The shape of the nest resembles a bowl. To build a strong nest use:

  • feathers,
  • spruce twigs,
  • grass,
  • lichen,
  • tufts of wool from various animals.

The female lays up to 6 bluish-purple eggs and incubates for 14-15 days. And at this time, the male is busy with the extraction and delivery of food to the female.

Newly hatched chicks are fed with insects, which contributes to their rapid growth, after 2-3 weeks the chicks are ready to fly out of the nest, preparing for independent life. At the age of one year, waxwings are already ready to create offspring. The life cycle of these birds is about 10-13 years, although some die at an early age from predators.

Waxwing in captivity

What to feed the waxwing at home

  • insects,
  • meat,
  • cottage cheese,
  • carrots,
  • pieces of fruit or dried fruit,
  • vegetables and herbs.

The floor of the cage or aviary must be dry and clean, sawdust is used to maintain cleanliness and cleaning is carried out in a timely manner.

Captive breeding

Captive breeding of these birds is similar to their behavior in the natural environment. For birds that have created a pair, it is necessary to bring the diet as close as possible to that which the birds would receive in their natural habitat. You should increase the amount of protein foods, introduce into the diet:

  • insects,
  • insect larvae,
  • ant eggs.

It is also necessary to isolate future parents from extraneous interference and anxiety from others

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Often in the cities you can see elegant crested birds. They scurry about in noisy companies, bursting into loud chirping. They can also be seen in winter. These are waxwings and migratory birds or not - we will tell you now.

Waxwings - crested dandies

Our ordinary sparrows have the closest relative - the waxwing bird. They got their name from the sounds they make when singing: svi-ri-ri. But unlike the gray and rather nondescript sparrow, nature gave the waxwings a beautiful outfit.

Waxwing appearance

The bird is small, up to 20 cm long, weighing only about 70 g. You can't confuse this dandy with anyone thanks to the protruding tuft on the head and the peculiar coloration. The main color of the body is a delicate pink with gray tints. But the wings are multi-colored-painted, with black, yellow-orange and white stripes. The crest is pink, there are also stripes at the tip of the tail.


In a word, not a bird, but a feast for the eyes!

There are three main species: common, American and Amur. But they are all very similar in appearance. Males and females are almost indistinguishable. However, as always, there are exceptions. There is a species of waxwings in which the color is completely black in males, and gray in females.


Where waxwings live

The main habitat of these birds is the zone of taiga and forest-tundra of Eurasia. They also live in North America. Flocks of calling birds can be seen not only in coniferous, but also in mixed forests, where spruce and birch trees grow.

Listen to the voice of the waxwing


Birds are not migratory, but they can be called nomadic. In winter, they move south in search of food. During these wanderings, their behavior is studied by scientists. In the normal time of life in the north, birds are quite secretive.


In the summer waxwings feed on shoots of young plants, berries and seeds. They open a short beak and right on the fly, like flycatchers, they catch midges, mosquitoes, dragonflies and even butterflies.

In winter, their main food is berries. In central Russia, they feed in fieldfare, in other areas they peck berries of barberry, mistletoe, viburnum, dog rose, lingonberry, and indeed any berry bushes.

Waxwings eat a lot, stuff their stomachs tightly. But most of these berries are not digested, so in winter the place where the crested beauties feasted is easy to recognize. Under a bare tree, the snow is all strewn with bright spots of half-digested berries with seeds and pecked peel.

In nature, this is of great importance: the fallen seeds then germinate into a new plant.


In warm autumn weather, many berries spoil right on the bushes and begin to ferment. Voracious waxwings, having pecked at these berries, experience a state similar to intoxication. As a result, they are poorly oriented, crash against any obstacle and die. In the spring, this happens when the birds get drunk on fermented maple sap.

Waxwing nests are started to be built in May-June from any available materials. Twigs, fluff, blades of grass, moss, twisted in the form of a neat ball, are used. Northern species build a nest, like crossbills, in spruce branches, where no one will notice it.

Waxwing breeding

During the mating season, the male, unlike other birds, does not arrange dances, but carries berries to the female. And while she incubates her 5-7 laid eggs, she also feeds her. Eggs are gray-blue in color, speckled. The male does not sit in the nest, but after the chicks hatch after 14 days, he helps the female feed them.

As soon as the cold sets in, you can immediately see bright birds on the rowan bushes in city parks. They are especially distinguished by the color of their plumage among the rest of the bird kingdom. They are like noisy foreign guests visiting an unexpected bird world. Actually it is a waxwing.

Description and features of waxwing

Waxwing has a charming and expressive appearance . The people have always considered this bird only beautiful, but she did not know how to sing. Hence the interesting name of this bird. In the old Russian language, her name meant "to whistle, shout." But if you still listen to the singing of this bird, then, of course, you can argue with the ancient name: after all, this bird can sing well, sonorously, and melodiously. There is a second interpretation of the name of this bird, and it is already associated with the sound of the waxwing. Distinctive features of the appearance of this bird are:

  1. A small body that can reach 20 centimeters.
  2. The plumage is gray-pink, but the wings are black with bright yellow and white stripes, and even small red blotches.
  3. Black tail with yellow trim.
  4. Pink and funny tuft on the head.
  5. Black spot on neck.
  6. Black arrows around the eyes.
  7. The beak is short and has a small tooth.

Waxwing species

Waxwing family is small. It includes 3 subfamilies and 8 species , but, unfortunately, not all of them have been studied yet. In the wild today, the following main species are distinguished:

  1. Common.
  2. American.
  3. Amur.

Waxwings mainly live in forests, which can be coniferous, birch and mixed. The habitat is the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. The waxwing also lives in the Russian taiga.

Is the waxwing bird migratory or settled? This question interests many lovers of the bird world. The answer to this question cannot be given in the affirmative, since the question itself is already contradictory when it comes to waxwings. Many scientists are are still recognized as nomadic birds , which leave their habitats, going in search of fruits and berries in a southwestern direction. It is during such wanderings that scientists study them. But at another, usual time for the life of waxwings, they try to lead an inconspicuous and secretive way.

When birds migrate, they settle for a short time in those places where there is food, and then continue to move on. So, in Russia they sometimes reach the Crimea and the Caucasus. They have to cross the middle lane along the way of their nomadism, and sometimes they do it twice. As soon as the spring warming begins, the camp again returns to their native northern lands. In their nesting places, waxwings are inactive and secretive, so ornithologists try to explore them during flights.

Flocks of waxwings are very different: from 5 to 30 heads. The flight of these birds is very beautiful. In their movement, they usually hover in a curved line until they begin a new rise.

The waxwing also has many enemies:

  1. Martens.
  2. Proteins.
  3. Falcon.
  4. Hawk.

Waxwing feeding

Waxwing can eat both vegetable and animal food:

These birds are forced to roam in search of food. Therefore, in those territories where they can find a lot of berries, waxwings linger longer. In winter and hungry times, these birds turn into real vegetarians.

They pick berries from the branches in an interesting and funny way. To do this, they hang head down and very deftly and dodgy try to get and pick berries. Usually after them nothing remains on the bush. In such a strange position, they can reach even the most distant berry.

There is another name for the waxwing - "mistletoe". They got their nickname because love white and juicy mistletoe fruits. . In the territory where this berry sprouts, they linger as long as possible.

By the way, it is very easy to find out that waxwings have appeared. You need to carefully examine the snow under the bushes. If red spots of berries appeared on the snow, or if you can find pecked seeds on the snow that the waxwings could not digest, then this means that the bird is in your area.

Such footprints in the snow are due to the fact that the waxwing's stomach is small, but as soon as these birds see bright and tasty berries, they begin to stuff a huge amount of them into their goiter. Of course, the body cannot cope with so many berries, because for a small bird this is too much food.

Accordingly, many berries are excreted from the intestines in the same form as they entered the body, without any changes. Therefore, waxwings are the most useful seed dispersers in a rather original way. This is confirmed by the seedlings of those seeds that the waxwings transferred in a similar way.

When eating, waxwings, unlike other birds, for example, bullfinches or thrushes, practically never come down to the ground . But on the other hand, all the remnants of the berry are removed on the branches, leaving nothing behind on the branches.

But often the berries also cause the death of waxwings. It happens like this: constantly eating all the berries, overeating, the birds do not notice when they eat the fermented berries. Intoxicated and drugged birds begin to get confused on the ground, losing their bearings. Sometimes even they cannot fly and, while trying to take off, they can crash. This is sad.

But, unfortunately, people don't always understand what's going on if suddenly a waxwing starts beating against a shop window, against glass in houses. Usually, it is believed among the people that if any bird beats on the windows of a house, then this is a bad omen. But such behavior of waxwings can be not only in winter, but also in spring. And then the reason for their strange behavior can be the fermented maple sap, which the waxwings find in the damaged bark.

But it is impossible to know when the waxwings will arrive or, on the contrary, are about to fly away. Their flights are affected by the following factors:

  1. Weather conditions.
  2. Berry yield.

But any arrival of waxwings is, of course, a holiday. After all, the bird itself, bright and colorful, can bring a joyful and good mood to both children and adults.

Reproduction and life span of waxwings

Waxwings make their nest in the place where they return after their winter migration. But the mating season begins with them even before departure. If the pair has time to form, then they go on flights together .

Waxwing starts building nests around May, but may also start in June. Therefore, at this time it is almost impossible to meet them: they become cautious and secretive.

They choose the territory for nesting near any water bodies, in light forests. The nest is built on a tall spruce, about 13 meters above the ground, where the crown is very dense. Nests are built using a variety of materials that can be found:

  1. Thin spruce branches.
  2. Needles.
  3. Feathers.
  4. Lichen pieces.
  5. Thin grass stems.
  6. Reindeer wool.

The waxwing nest is spherical , similar to a huge bowl, but at the same time strong and warm. In one nest there can be from 4 to 6 eggs, which are dark purple in color with small dark specks. The females incubate the eggs for about 14 days. But the male brings food to the female all these days.

Chicks grow up for about 2.5 weeks, and then they begin a nomadic lifestyle along with an adult bird. New couples are created every year. It is known that the average life expectancy of a waxwing is 13 years.

Naturally bright and colorful plumage of birds attracts those who seek to train waxwings. It is known that in captivity it is easy to keep this bird, there are no special troubles with it. She adapts easily in captivity, but becomes lethargic and inactive . Therefore, it is worth keeping them in flocks so that she can live longer.







They look like noisy foreign guests. These are whistles.

Description and characteristics of the waxwing

The expressive appearance of this small, up to 20 cm, bird attracts: gray-pink plumage as the basis of the canvas, on which they applied black wings with bright yellow and white stripes, red blotches, added a yellow tail edging and a funny pink crest on the head.

There is a black spot on the neck, black arrows near the eyes, the tail is also black. The short beak has a small tooth.

People considered the bird to be “beautiful”, unable to sing. Therefore, her name from the Old Russian language conveys the meaning of "whistling, screaming." But she still knows how to sing, the second interpretation of her name is associated with the sound of the flute.

Listen to the singing of the waxwing

Waxwing family is small, consists of 8 species and 3 subfamilies. Despite the paucity of waxwings, much remains poorly understood in their habitat. In general, all birds differ slightly, description of waxwings are similar except for the black waxwing and its gray female. In other species, there are no noticeable differences between male and female.

The black waxwing has a long tail, unlike its colored relatives, and red eyes. Its habitat is limited to the forests of Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Waxwings in winter , appearing in the city, as if they let you admire yourself, they let a person close. Their chirping, interrupted by a loud whistle, attracts attention. In addition to rowan berries, they are not averse to eating treats from feeders in parks and gardens.

Waxwing habitat

The main habitat is coniferous, mixed, birch forests of the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. In Russia, the waxwing is a resident of the taiga, including the forest-tundra. Waxwings, migratory or not, is a controversial issue, rather, they are recognized as nomadic, leaving their usual habitat areas in a southwestern direction in search of berries and fruits.

Black waxwing bird

During the nomadic period, birds are less dependent on habitual conifers. They settle in places with rich food, and then move on. In Russia, they fly to the Crimea, the territory of the Caucasus. On the way, the camps cross the middle lane twice.

With spring warming flocks return to the north, where waxwings live . Interestingly, ornithologists can learn more about birds during their flights, as they are very sedentary and secretive in nesting places.

Waxwing bird public and nimble in the flight environment. The active part of the day is spent in search of food, while flocks are different in number of individuals: from 5 to 30 heads. Beautiful flight of birds. In a straight and swift movement, waxwings soar in a curved line until a new rise.

Under natural conditions, birds are hunted by predators: , and among birds, and can be distinguished, for which prey is not only chicks and eggs in nests, but also adult birds.

Waxwing feeding

In its permanent habitat, in its native places, the waxwing feeds on berries, plant fruits, tree buds, insects that are caught in flight. Various midges, mosquitoes, butterflies, dragonflies and their larvae become animal food.

With the advent of a cold snap, it is not so much frost that makes people go camping, but hunger. The search for food makes birds vegetarians: they linger in areas rich in berries of viburnum, barberry, mountain ash, dog rose, and juniper.

Almost any plant berries are used in the diet: bird cherry, mistletoe, lingonberries, buckthorn, hawthorn, mulberry, lilac, privet.

They almost completely remove the “harvest” from bushes and branches, show dexterity when, hanging upside down, dodgyly take out the removed berries. Birds show special love for the white fruits of mistletoe, for which, in the places where it grows, waxwings are called mistletoe.

If under bushes or trees the snow is strewn with red spots of undigested berries, pecked peel and seeds, then this is waxwings have arrived ... Birds greedily and quickly peck at bright berries, continuously stuffing their crop so that their small body cannot cope with the amount of food excreted from the intestines almost unchanged.

They are considered useful seed distributors in this way. Shoots of the resettled plants confirm this.

Find out who fed on rowan bushes: bullfinches, waxwings or rowan thrushes - you can use the remnants of the feast. and they remove the berries evenly over the entire crown of the tree and, dropping the bead, descend in search of it. One can say about the waxwing: it sweeps everything in a row, but rarely descends to the ground. Why, if there are still berries on the branches.

Rampant gluttony causes bird trouble similar to intoxication when fermented berries get into food, lingering on branches in warm and humid autumn. Intoxicated birds lose their bearings, cannot fly, crash against barriers, obstacles, and many perish. Such a picture is not at all funny, but a sad sight.

People are not always aware of what is happening and are frightened by the beating against the windows, the glass of the shop windows, the walls of the crazed birds. It is no coincidence that in a misunderstanding of events, such behavior was interpreted as a bad omen.

A similar phenomenon is also possible in spring, when birds consume fermented maple sap, which flows from the bark after any damage.

Arrival and departure of beautiful hooded seals is difficult to predict. They move depending on weather conditions and berry yields, which vary from many factors. Therefore, the appearance of bright and noisy birds is still perceived as an unexpected gift, waxwing to children brings a lot of joy in the knowledge of the natural world.

Reproduction and lifespan of the waxwing

Waxwing nesting place - in the main habitat area, where they return after a long winter wandering. Their mating season begins before departure. The resulting pair follows everywhere together. From May-June it is already time to build nests. At this time, seeing birds is a rarity, they become very secretive and cautious.

They are attracted by sparse forests, they choose large old spruces near water bodies to place the nest at an average height of up to 10-13 meters and hide it under a dense crown.

Everything nearby is selected for construction: thin spruce twigs, needles, soft feathers, fluff, pieces of lichen, moss, thin grass stalks. Even reindeer hair was found in old nests.

The result is a ball-shaped nest, strong and similar to a large bowl. The female incubates 4-6 gray-purple eggs with dark speckles for about 13-14 days. The male takes care of the female during this period, bringing her food.

After the appearance of the chicks, a pair of hooded seals feeds together. First, the young feed on insects, larvae, and later switch to plant foods.

In 2.5 weeks chicks become almost independent and in winter they go to roaming along with adult birds. Birds become sexually mature by the age of one year. Every year couples are formed anew. The average life expectancy in natural conditions reaches 10-13 years.

Photo of waxwing nest

Waxwing keeping in captivity

For beautiful plumage, bird lovers seek to tame waxwings. Keeping in captivity does not cause much trouble, the bird quickly gets used to a person, but a solitary existence makes it inactive and lethargic, and there will be no singing at all, except for single whistles.

It is better to keep them in flocks in enclosures, then their activity and cheerful noisiness will be preserved, bringing joy to everyone.

What kind of birds are these waxwings? Waxwing bird. Description, habitat and lifestyle of the waxwing

With black spots on the throat and a perky tuft on the head, then know that this is a waxwing. It is not named so by chance. In the old Russian language, the word "sviristet" means to whistle, shout loudly. And so is this wonderful bird. She sits on a branch, chirps, and then suddenly surprises everyone with a loud whistle. She doesn't do it out of fear. The bird has long been accustomed to people. She allows them to come very close and admire her beauty.

Appearance

The waxwing bird (see photo below) is similar in size to the starling. She has thick fluffy plumage. The head of the waxwing is decorated with a large crest.

The bird has a very bright and varied coloration. She is pinkish grey. But her wings are black. At the same time, they are decorated with white and yellow stripes. Black throat and tail waxwings. The secondaries are bright red at the tips. A yellow stripe runs along the edge of the tail, while a black stripe runs across the eyes.

It is simply impossible to pass by noisy flocks of bright waxwings. Even constantly hurrying Muscovites pay attention to them. Citizens often call these feathered cockerels, or parrots.

Habitat

The waxwing bird prefers the taiga zone of Russia. This is the place of its summer habitation and nesting. You can also meet her in the forest-tundra. She prefers mixed and conifers located in the northern zone of the country. Most often, for habitat, birds choose those places where birch, pine and spruce grow.

Waxwings - With the onset of cold weather, they move closer to the south, where the places are warmer. Some flocks reach the Crimea, Central Asia and the Caucasus. However, the majority prefers the waxwing, as a rule, in the first half of winter, and sometimes by Christmas, it appears in the Moscow region.

During migrations, ornithologists have a great opportunity to study these birds. Indeed, in the remote and sparsely populated northern zone, waxwings lead a sedentary and secretive lifestyle.

Nutrition

At home, the waxwing bird eats small fruits and berries, young shoots and buds. They love birds and insects. They got the hang of grabbing midges and mosquitoes, butterflies and dragonflies on the fly. Waxwings also feed on larvae.

With the onset of autumn, the birds leave their habitable places. It is not so much the cold that drives them out, but the hunger. They fly away in search of places where they can find food. During their migrations, waxwings become vegetarians. They make a stop in those places where there are a lot of berries. During the rest, the birds try to eat enough. They like mountain ash and juniper, viburnum and barberry. They can also eat berries from other shrubs and trees.

Waxwing is a bird with excellent appetite. Gluttonous birds eat quickly and in large quantities. They swallow the berries whole. At the same time, food is consumed in such quantity that their stomachs are not able to digest it. An interesting fact is that their droppings testify to the appearance of waxwings. Birds leave red-orange spots, consisting of half-digested berries with pieces of peel. Such litter soils platforms and steps in front of houses. The seeds that waxwings leave sometimes grow in different places. Feeders prepared by man can also visit these birds. They willingly peck dried berries and seeds.

After a flock spends a few weeks in one place, it flies to another. The choice of a new habitat depends on the amount of food. Waxwings appear again in the Moscow region at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. Here they feed on the remaining berries, as well as already swelling buds of poplars and aspens.

Strange behavior

The waxwing bird is sometimes "drunk". Such strange behavior of birds has been known since ancient times. This phenomenon was observed not only in Russia. Such situations arose in America and in

"Drunken" waxwings can be observed not only in autumn, but also in spring. Sometimes "intoxication" provokes the juice of trees. In the spring, its trickles flow down the trunk at the slightest damage to the bark. But more often waxwings get drunk in the fall, if the weather is warm and humid. The juice in the berries that remained on the bushes by the arrival of birds begins to ferment under such conditions. Voracious birds eat everything. They also swallow fermented berries.

The behavior of "drunk" waxwings and changes in their body were studied by American ornithologists. It turned out that in the case of eating a large number of berries, their fermentation begins already in the esophagus. At the same time, the liver cannot cope with the increased load. Alcohol that has entered the bird's body changes the behavior of birds. A flock of "drunk" waxwings is not a funny sight. Birds do not orient themselves in space. They cannot fly in a straight line, crash into various obstacles, fall, get injured, and sometimes die.

Economic purpose

Waxwings play a significant role in the life of the forest. Birds spread the seeds of berries over a large area. They fall to the ground along with the litter. Seeds do not lose their germination capacity after passing through the intestines, and germinate under favorable conditions.

Waxwings are frequent visitors to cities and towns in winter, but they are secretive, so much of their behavior has not been fully studied, including seasonal movements.

It would be more correct to call them conditionally nomadic , because if they fly to other areas for the winter, then over short distances. The desire to fly south for the winter in these birds may not arise if the usual area has a mild winter and a lot of food.

Habitat - North America, northern Europe and Asia, coniferous and mixed forests. In autumn, flocks of waxwings move south, they can be found at this time and in winter in central Russia, in France, Poland, and Italy.

Some flocks reach the Crimea and Turkey. Waxwings living in America live in the southwest of the mainland in summer, fly to Mexico in winter.

Appearance description

Waxwing is a small bird, body about 20 cm long, weight 60 g. The color of the feather is gray with a pink tint, on the head this shade is brighter. There is a sharp crest on the back of the head, wings at the ends with black and white patches, a coal-black spot under the beak. Females and males of Eurasian waxwings are the same in color.

Silky (American) waxwing male black, with a blue tint, but the female is gray, inconspicuous. They have a long pointed tail and red eyes. Ornithologists are inclined to believe that black waxwings should be considered a separate species.

Nesting and rearing

Waxwings cannot be called strictly monogamous. Breaking up into pairs in the spring, they choose last year's partner, but not always.

The nest is built on a coniferous tree not very high from the ground. Dry grass, twigs, needles - a nest is built from this, the bottom is lined with shreds of wool and moss.

Female lays up to 5 small bluish eggs , does not leave the nest during incubation, the male carries food to her. After a couple of weeks, when the chicks have hatched, both parents fly for food for themselves and the babies. After another 15 days, the chicks become independent.


Feeding characteristics of waxwings

They feed on both small insects and berries and fruits. The food preferences of waxwings vary depending on age and season. Chicks are fed with insects, catching them right on the fly.

Food is butterflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes, midges. From plant foods in summer, adult waxwings can find mulberry and mistletoe. Closer to autumn, waxwings are happy to peck at apples, wild or those that have not been collected in the gardens.

With the onset of cold, when the waxwings are already migrating to wintering, they switch to berries: they eat viburnum, mountain ash, lingonberries and cranberries, juniper. If a berry plucked by a bird falls to the ground, then the waxwing will never fly down after it.

The soil under a tree or shrub covered with berries is a sign that waxwings feasted there.

It is considered a bad omen if a waxwing beats hysterically against a window or a door, sometimes it dies. The explanation for this is simple: they also peck at fermented berries, from which they lose their orientation.

These unscrupulous birds are excellent seed distributors. Berries peck greedily and a lot, without damaging the seeds, their stomach does not fully digest so much food. Flying to new places in search of food, waxwings spread seeds over long distances.

Waxwing singing, her enemies in the wild, domestication

The sounds that the waxwing produces are very different: melodic tinkling like a bell, whistling and chirping, screaming in high tones.

The origin of the name of the bird is from the old Russian “sviristet” (to whistle loudly). Another version is from the word "pipe", they often sing like this instrument.

Their main enemies are birds of prey: owls, hawks, crows. Squirrels and martens annoy waxwings, they destroy nests and eat eggs and chicks.

It is easy to keep a waxwing in a cage, but if it is placed alone, it will become inactive and will hardly sing. The best conditions for them in captivity are a large aviary with several birds.
Watch a video about what they are, these waxwings.

Waxwings are small, very beautiful songbirds common in the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. Representatives of the waxwing family are poorly understood today, so much of their life remains unknown even to biologists. A small family has only 3 species. They usually live in coniferous and birch forests; in eastern Siberia they are noted among larch forests. Waxwings do not belong to migratory birds, although in winter they roam in large flocks south of their usual habitats. During this period, they can be seen in the Crimea, in the south of France, in Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Turkey. And also in the Faroe Islands, in Iceland and Greenland.

Waxwings are well built with silky and beautiful reddish-brown plumage. On the long wings of the songbird, white and yellow segments stand out clearly, the tail is decorated with yellow canvas. The beak is straight, ending with a tiny tooth at the end. The colorful appearance of the waxwing is completed by a small crest on the head and a red undertail. Females and males are similar in appearance.

In the spring waxwings break into pairs - the nesting period begins. Nests, made of dry grass and moss, are arranged mainly on coniferous trees not high above the ground. The bottom of the bird tray is lined with needles, wool and moss. The clutch usually contains up to 5 blue eggs. In June, the female incubates the clutch, and the male provides her with food. After about 2 weeks, chicks appear, which are fed by both parents. After 15 days, the grown cubs become completely independent. Waxwings feed on insects and plant foods. But most of all, this colorful bird loves a variety of berries: mountain ash, viburnum, wild rose, lingonberry, bird cherry, juniper, mulberry.

And now, beautiful photos of the singing waxwing bird.

Waxwing dinner.

And one more thing - singing ...

And in this video, a beautiful bird close-up.

Often in the cities you can see elegant crested birds. They scurry about in noisy companies, bursting into loud chirping. They can also be seen in winter. These are waxwings and migratory birds or not - we will tell you now.

Waxwings - crested dandies

Our ordinary sparrows have the closest relative - the waxwing bird. They got their name from the sounds they make when singing: svi-ri-ri. But unlike the gray and rather nondescript sparrow, nature gave the waxwings a beautiful outfit.

Waxwing appearance

The bird is small, up to 20 cm long, weighing only about 70 g. You can't confuse this dandy with anyone thanks to the protruding tuft on the head and the peculiar coloration. The main color of the body is a delicate pink with gray tints. But the wings are multi-colored-painted, with black, yellow-orange and white stripes. The crest is pink, there are also stripes at the tip of the tail.


In a word, not a bird, but a feast for the eyes!

There are three main species: common, American and Amur. But they are all very similar in appearance. Males and females are almost indistinguishable. However, as always, there are exceptions. There is a species of waxwings in which the color is completely black in males, and gray in females.


Where waxwings live

The main habitat of these birds is the zone of taiga and forest-tundra of Eurasia. They also live in North America. Flocks of calling birds can be seen not only in coniferous, but also in mixed forests, where spruce and birch trees grow.

Listen to the voice of the waxwing


Birds are not migratory, but they can be called nomadic. In winter, they move south in search of food. During these wanderings, their behavior is studied by scientists. In the normal time of life in the north, birds are quite secretive.


In the summer waxwings feed on shoots of young plants, berries and seeds. They open a short beak and right on the fly, like flycatchers, they catch midges, mosquitoes, dragonflies and even butterflies.

In winter, their main food is berries. In central Russia, they feed in fieldfare, in other areas they peck berries of barberry, mistletoe, viburnum, dog rose, lingonberry, and indeed any berry bushes.

Waxwings eat a lot, stuff their stomachs tightly. But most of these berries are not digested, so in winter the place where the crested beauties feasted is easy to recognize. Under a bare tree, the snow is all strewn with bright spots of half-digested berries with seeds and pecked peel.

In nature, this is of great importance: the fallen seeds then germinate into a new plant.


In warm autumn weather, many berries spoil right on the bushes and begin to ferment. Voracious waxwings, having pecked at these berries, experience a state similar to intoxication. As a result, they are poorly oriented, crash against any obstacle and die. In the spring, this happens when the birds get drunk on fermented maple sap.

Waxwing nests are started to be built in May-June from any available materials. Twigs, fluff, blades of grass, moss, twisted in the form of a neat ball, are used. Northern species build a nest, like crossbills, in spruce branches, where no one will notice it.

Waxwing breeding

During the mating season, the male, unlike other birds, does not arrange dances, but carries berries to the female. And while she incubates her 5-7 laid eggs, she also feeds her. Eggs are gray-blue in color, speckled. The male does not sit in the nest, but after the chicks hatch after 14 days, he helps the female feed them.

Waxwing (Bombycilla) - a bird belonging to the monotypic waxwing family (Bombycillidae), which includes three species. Some time ago waxwings belonged to the subfamily Silk waxwings, but now they are representatives of a separate family Ptilogonatidae.

Description of waxwings

Waxwings are birds that are small in size, but have a fairly bright and noticeable color . To date, nine species are known and described, forming a pair of families: silky waxwings and waxwings. Previously, all these nine species were members of the same family. All birds from the Sparrow-like order and the Swiristelidae family are distinguished by a very characteristic and attractive appearance, but sexual dimorphism in such birds is not clearly expressed.

The singing of the waxwing resembles a murmuring iridescent trill “swi-ri-ri-ri-ri” or “sviriri-sviriri”, which is very similar to the sound of the flute, which led to such an unusual name for the species. The flight of representatives of the monotypic waxwing family is stably rectilinear and rather fast.

Appearance

The body length of an adult is no more than 18-23 cm, with an average weight of 55-68 grams. Waxwings have a well-marked crest on their heads. The color is pinkish-gray, with black wings, with yellow and white stripes. The tail, throat area and the strip passing through the eyes are black in color. The tips on the secondary flight feathers have the appearance of small bright red plates that are clearly distinguishable only when viewed closely. A very noticeable yellow stripe runs along the edge of the tail, and there is a narrow white stripe on the wing.

Different species have some external difference. Amur, or Japanese waxwing (Vombysilla jaronis) is a small-sized songbird, with a body about 15-16 cm long. It has red tops of tail feathers, as well as red wings. The American or cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) has a less bright and noticeable coloration, while the common waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) has a soft, silky, mostly brown plumage with black and yellow markings.

This is interesting! Juveniles before the first molt in autumn are brownish-gray, with a brownish-whitish belly, and the nestling plumage is characterized by the presence of a chestnut undertail and a developed yellow color on the tail and wings.

The bird's beak is relatively short and relatively wide, reminiscent of a flycatcher's beak, with a straight mandible and a slightly curved top of the mandible. The legs of the bird are strong, with curved claws, which are well suited for grasping branches, but not for fast movement. The tail section is short. There are tail feathers of the same length. The wings of birds are rather long, with the apex formed by the third flight feather and the rudimentary first feather.

Character and way of life

Waxwing is in most cases a very sedentary bird, but during the period of active breeding, representatives of the species prefer to stay in large flocks, which intensively roam in search of a plentiful food ration. Such birds have only one complete molt during the year, which in adults takes place in October and November. Young birds are characterized by partial molting, so they begin to change their chick plumage for the first winter plumage around the last decade of summer.

September specimens of representatives of the monotypic waxwing family already at this time acquire a characteristic dark spot in the throat area. With the onset of the first autumn period, the exceptionally small plumage of the bird fades, and the tail and flight feathers remain unchanged until the autumn of next year.

How long the waxwing lives

The waxwing is one of the closest relatives of common sparrows, and the average life expectancy of such a bird in its natural habitat is about twelve years. Waxwings are often kept in captivity, but such birds become tame very rarely . With strict observance of the rules of care and maintenance, the life of such a singing pet can last about fifteen years.

Range, habitats

The Amur or Japanese waxwing is an inhabitant of the northeastern part of Asia. In our country, such birds are common in the Amur region and in the northern part of Primorye. For wintering, the Japanese waxwing migrates to Japan and Korea, as well as to the northeastern part of China. The American, or cedar, waxwing inhabits the open forest areas of Canada and the northern part of the United States of America.

The wintering area of ​​such birds is quite extensive and extends to the southernmost part of Central America, and waxwings fly into the southern regions of Ukraine, the territory of the Crimea, the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Often found in the delta of the Volga River and the mouth of the Urals, on the territory of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, as well as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

This is interesting! The biotope is represented mainly by coniferous and birch territories of the forest-tundra or taiga, consisting of pine and spruce, birch, but in the eastern part of Siberia waxwings were noted during the nesting period among the larch forest.

The common waxwing is fairly widespread in the taiga forest zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Birds of this family live in the territory of sparse conifers and mixed forest zones, in mountains overgrown with vegetation, as well as in clearings. The migration of birds to the south everywhere is carried out not earlier than the onset of tangible cold weather or snowfall.

Almost everywhere waxwings leave their native lands not earlier than the middle of the very first autumn month. Particularly large flocks of birds are found from autumn to the first half of winter. Spring movement to the north, as a rule, is carried out by small flocks.

Waxwing diet

Amur or Japanese waxwings feed mainly on plant foods such as fruits and berries. In the spring, such medium-sized birds use the buds of plants as food, and with the onset of summer, the basic diet of the bird is supplemented by all sorts of harmful insects. Birds, most often kept in large flocks, often catch insects in flight, and also feed on larvae and young plant shoots.

Birds prefer viburnum, cranberries and mistletoe among summer berry crops. Birds also feed on hawthorn, Siberian apple berries, juniper, wild rose and buckthorn. In the winter cold season, flocks of birds are quite often found in settlements in the middle zone of our country, where they mainly feed on rowan berries.

Reproduction and offspring

Common waxwing, the most common in large areas and in different biotopes, nests in light forests, on mature trees . Birds reach sexual maturity at one year of age. The intensive nesting season lasts from May until July. In the upper part of the trees, adult birds build a cup-shaped nest. To obtain a reliable nest, birds use grass, hair, moss and branches of coniferous trees. The tray in the nest is lined with tender and soft lichen with birch bark, and sometimes there are cedar needles in the tray. Most often, the territory of the forest edge is used for nesting, close to water bodies and other nesting pairs.

Every year the waxwing is looking for a new partner. The courtship of the male for the female also consists in feeding his partner with berries. The female lays four to six bluish-gray eggs with blackish-purple flecks. The oviposition is incubated exclusively by the female, for a couple of weeks. At this time, the male takes care of all the food, which can be represented by insects and fruits of berry crops. The offspring that is born becomes completely independent in about two or three weeks.

This is interesting! August is the time for the widespread mass rise of all chicks born in the current year on the wing and the subsequent formation of a winter flock.

Amur or Japanese waxwings nest in larch and cedar forest areas, and the mating season takes place in late winter. For oviposition, the female of this species builds a small nest, which, as a rule, is located on fairly thin outer branches of tall trees. The female stuffs the finished nest itself with plant fibers. One such clutch contains from two to seven grayish-blue eggs.


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