Bird watching has been a hobby since I was 8 years old. Searching the surrounds for the singer of a beautiful song. Following the flight path of a hunting Red-tailed Hawk. I have always loved birds! One year I went for my annual eye exam and the doctor asked me, “Are you a bird watcher?” That took me by surprise. I said yes, but how did you know? He said, “Because you have exceptional peripheral vision and over the years most all my patients with such wide vision are bird watchers”. Wow . . . cool!
There are only three types of waxwings in the world. Here in Montana we see two types, the Cedar and Bohemian. The third is the Japanese Waxwing (Bombycilla japonica) and is found in, surprise . . . Japan. It is also found mainly in Korea and east China. They are similar in size and coloring to the Bohemian. However, the feathers that are yellow on the Bohemian are bright orangish red on the Japanese.
Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are slightly smaller than the other two. Their range is from central Canada to Central American. They can be seen all year only in the northern half of the USA and parts of southern Canada. Don’t worry southern states, you have them all winter.
That brings us to the Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus). Its name comes from its wandering nature making it unpredictable to find. Unlike most songbirds, they rarely return to the same breeding areas. It is believed that this lack of territoriality is due to the fruit they must find. Fruit makes up the bulk of their diet, but insects are added during mating season. Come winter the hunt is on for fruit and dried fruit. The good news? They have an extraordinary ability to find fruit everywhere year round. It’s like they have a very expensive GPS tracker for fruit!
Bohemian Waxwings are very social birds usually found in large flocks. In winter having large flocks helps find fruits scattered across the landscape. Flocks are usually about 50 to 300 birds. Sometimes they can be in the thousands! The flock I saw around my yard, in every tree top including the Englemann Spruces, was more than 100 birds!
Let’s take a closer look. They are such beautiful birds, but close-up pictures usually look fake. Their feathers are so smooth they look more like a painting than real life. I’ve always called them flying paintings. See what you think.
Waxwings do not have true songs. They are not territorial and live in groups of both male and female so have no need for a song to attract a mate or defend a territory. Instead the Bohemians have a high trill call to stay in touch.
Oh my! So often they pull their wings back and zoom from place to place! Good luck getting a picture, but snagged a few flyers here.
So we have beautiful flying paintings that survive mainly on fruit and travel in very large groups. Have you seen any waxwings? The best way to find them? Listen for that high thrill or whistle sound, then look up! They are a beauty to see.
Until next time, my friend.
