Waxwing

The waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is a winter visitor to the United Kingdom, especially the eastern coasts of Scotland and England, although usually only in very small numbers. It is a native of the far northern regions of Europe and Asia and it also inhabits parts of North America where it is known as the bohemian waxwing to distinguish it from the cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), which is unknown in Europe.

Waxwings inhabit coniferous and mixed woodland, but their search for food can take them into gardens and orchards where berries and hips may be found. Their migration from their northern breeding grounds takes them into central Europe from October to March, which is also when some will arrive in the UK. In years when the food supply is not enough to sustain a larger population, “irruptions” occur that drive more birds south and west.


Appearance

The waxwing, which is quite plump in shape, measures around 18 centimetres (7 inches) in length. The feature that distinguishes it immediately from other birds of a similar size and shape is the prominent crest on its head. The body is mainly pinkish-brown to chestnut, darker on the back than underneath, with a grey rump. The head is also distinctive, with a short bill and black mask and bib. The head markings and the crest combine to give the waxwing quite a fierce expression, which is not out of place with its generally fearless and inquisitive demeanour.

The tail is short and tipped in yellow. The colouring of the wings is particularly striking, with bright yellow and white tips to the primary feathers and red tips to the secondaries. It is these red tips, which give the impression of the bird having dipped its wings in sealing wax, that give the bird its name.

As with many bird species in which males and females have similar plumage, female waxwings have the same features as the males but to a less pronounced degree. The black bib is smaller, the yellow and red wingtips are duller, and the tail band is smaller and less well-defined.

The call note of the waxwing is a weak, high trill.


Breeding

Waxwings build nests in June and July, which is the beginning of the short Arctic summer. The nest, of twigs and moss, is built in the branches of a tree. Four or five eggs are laid, which are incubated by the female alone for around 14 days while she is fed by the male. Both parents feed the young birds with insects and larvae. The young birds leave the nest at 16 to 18 days, to form flocks that can number several thousand birds.

Adult birds have a huge appetite for berries, hips and buds, which they will spend all day searching for and eating. This is because food passes through waxwings very quickly, with only a small proportion being digested. Particular favourites are the berries of shrubs such as viburnum, cotoneaster, rowan and hawthorn.

As mentioned above, waxwings are fearless birds, and observers can approach to a close distance before a flock takes off.

© John Welford