About the Bohemian Waxwing
The Bohemian waxwing is a starling-sized passerine bird that breeds in the northern forests of the Palearctic and North America. It has mainly buff-grey plumage, black face markings and a pointed crest. Its wings are patterned with white and bright yellow, and some of the wing feathers have red tips, the resemblance of which to sealing wax gives these birds their common name. The two or three subspecies show only minor differences in appearance. Females are similar to males, although young birds are less well-marked and have few or no waxy wingtips. Although the Bohemian waxwing's range overlaps those of the cedar and Japanese waxwings, it is easily distinguished from them by size and…
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ID tip
The Bohemian waxwing is a starling-sized bird 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) in length with a 32–35.5 cm (12.6–14.0 in) wingspan, and an average weight of 55 g (1.9 oz). It is short-tailed, mainly brownish-grey, and has a conspicuous crest on its head. The male of the nominate subspecies has a black mask through the eye and a black throat. There is a white streak behind the bill and a white curve below the eye. The lower belly is a rich chestnut colour and there are cinnamon-coloured areas around the mask. The rump is grey and the tail ends in a bright yellow band with a broad black border above it.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Bohemian Waxwing sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Portugal, Luxembourg, North Korea, Moldova, India, Turkmenistan, Greece.
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a winter visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Japanese WaxwingBombycilla japonicaThe Japanese waxwing is 15–18 cm in length with a weight of 54–64 g, and its plumage is mostly pinkish-brown.
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumCedar waxwings are medium-sized birds around 6–7 in (15–18 cm) long and weighing roughly 30 g (1 oz).
Side by side: Bohemian Waxwing vs Cedar Waxwing
Learn the Bohemian Waxwing for real
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