Winter bird waxwing. I wonder if the waxwing is a migratory bird or not? Description of the cedar 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 a starling. She has thick fluffy plumage. The head of the waxwing is decorated with a large crest.

The bird has a very bright varied color. 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 the 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, to 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 inhabited 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.

The 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 several 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

"Drunk" waxwings can be observed not only in the autumn, but also in the spring season. 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 have been 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.

The waxwing (Vombyсilla) is a bird belonging to the monotypic waxwing family (Vombyсillidae), 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 waxwing

Waxwings - birds are small in size, but with 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 Swiristel 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 the 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 in the range 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, which 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 types 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. American, or cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) has a less bright and noticeable coloration, and the common waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is distinguished by soft silky, mostly brown plumage with black and yellow markings.

It is interesting! Juveniles before the first molt in autumn are brownish-gray, with a brownish-whitish belly, and the chicks are 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, resembling 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 lifestyle

The 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 that roam intensively in search of an abundant 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 does a waxwing live

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

Range, habitats

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, into 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.

It 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 has become quite 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 no 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.

From summer berry crops, birds prefer viburnum, cranberries and mistletoe. 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 on the territory of the middle zone of our country, where they mainly feed on rowan berries.

Reproduction and offspring

The most common in large areas and in different biotopes, the common waxwing 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.

It 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. The incubation process lasts an average of one week, and the entire brood period can last about 16-24 days. Both birds in pairs feed the chicks that have been born.

Detachment - passeriformes

Family - waxwings

Genus/Species - Bombicilla garrulus

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: 18 cm

Wingspan: 33 cm

Weight: 50-80 g.

BREEDING

Puberty: from 1-2 years old.

Nesting period: May.

Carrying: one a year.

Number of eggs: 5-6 bluish-gray, spotted eggs.

Incubation: 14-15 days.

Feeding chicks: 14-17 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: stay in packs; nest in colonies.

Food: buds, flowers, insects, fruits and berries.

Sounds: ringing trills during the mating season; in flight "sviriri-sviriri".

RELATED SPECIES

There are 5 genera and 8 species in the waxwing family, in particular, the waxwing shrike.

Waxwing. Waxwing. Bombicilla garrulus. Video (00:01:57)

BREEDING

The time of courtship in waxwings begins in winter, even before departure to nesting sites. The male follows the chosen one everywhere and sings a characteristic song. Then he raises his forelock, lowers his tail and puffs up his feathers, trying to appear larger and rounder. If the female likes the male, she fluffs her feathers and stands next to him. The male presents her with a treat and a gift in the form of a twig or a piece of bark. The cup-like nest of waxwings is lined with moss and grass. Birds place the nest at a height of 3-15 m from the ground and firmly attach it to the branches. Birds usually nest in a lichen-covered tree, such as a spruce.

In the clutch there are 5-6 eggs of a bluish-gray color, covered with dark gray spots. The incubation of the clutch for 14-15 days is mainly done by the female. Parents feed the chicks together. Chicks at the age of two weeks are already on the wing. After that, adults and young birds stray into separate flocks and begin to roam.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

Waxwings feed their chicks mainly on mosquitoes. Birds catch insects low above the ground, looking out for them from a tree branch or telegraph pole. In autumn and winter, the menu of waxwings consists of fruits and berries. At this time, they eat a large number of blackberries, hawthorn, mountain ash, hawthorn, privet, barberry and lilac. Usually clumsy waxwings deftly jump on their short legs while searching for food. They often hang head down from branches to reach for delicious berries. Not all the food they eat is absorbed by the body - the seeds of some plants leave the intestines undigested, thus spreading.

WHERE Dwells

Waxwings nest in the coniferous forests of Asia, Northern Europe, Channels and Alaska. The northern border of the range of these birds coincides with the forest border. In spring, the birds leave their wintering places together and, in search of berries and fruits, move to the south - to gardens, parks and shrubs. At this time, waxwings are less dependent on coniferous forests.

Birds bring invaluable benefits in that during nesting they destroy many insects and, eating berries, contribute to the spread of plants.

HABITS

Waxwings are social birds. Flocks of birds that feast on mountain ash can be observed even near roads with busy traffic. Waxwings slowly eat berries, then rest or fly to a watering hole. Birds are not carefree, so sometimes they barely rise into the air. With short wings and a straight flight, which is interrupted by hovering along a curved line, waxwings resemble a shpak. A flock of waxwings that fell in love with a tree strewn with fruits, in order to designate their right to a source of food, chirped piercingly. Sitting on the trees, the birds chirp softly, then make sharp cries.

IS A MIGRATING BIRD OR NOT?

Waxwings overwinter in northern nesting areas. Populations that live only in Alaska and Siberia fly south to escape the severe winter frosts. Once every few years, birds spontaneously gather in huge flocks and set off on a long journey to the south or west.

Scandinavian waxwings usually fly to the British Isles, Ireland, Iceland, Western and Central Europe, and in exceptional cases to the Mediterranean region. During the winter wandering, many waxwings appear in more southern regions, often reaching even Turkey, southern Siberia, the Mongolian People's Republic, Northern China and Japan; in America, these birds appear in the north of the USA. Having met a rich source of food on the way, the birds make a stop and live there until the food supply runs out. In spring, the diet of waxwings is enriched with insects and young buds. Warming is a signal that gives the birds the command to fly north. Sometimes mass migrations of waxwings occur only within the natural range and are caused by bad weather conditions or a poor harvest of berries.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

In our area, they do not appear every year. The bird feeds on berries and seeds. She swallows food, in addition, seeds and bones pass through the stomach of waxwings and do not lose their germination. Thus, the waxwing spreads many berry plants.

This bird breeds in northern coniferous forests. Nests are built on trees. The male feeds the female, which incubates the chicks. Usually there are 3-7 eggs in the nest. Flocks of birds can be seen on mountain ash, elderberry, mistletoe outgrowths - everywhere you can hear their melodious ringing voices. It's a pretty pretty bird. Its back is brownish-gray with a reddish tint on its head, a large crest of a grayish-pink color. The wings are blackish with yellow transverse stripes and a white "mirror" below the shoulder. In spring, waxwings fly north.

• The largest number of waxwings in Europe was observed in the winter of 1965-66. Then birds appeared even in Scandinavia and in the north of Russia. In the western part of Germany, 34,000 of these birds were counted.
• The Germans call this bird a silktail, and the British call it a waxwing. The Russian name for this bird "swistle" means "the one that whistles loudly and sharply." In Ukraine, this bird is called mistletoe (obviously, this name was given to the bird for its addiction to mistletoe berries).
• In some regions waxwings appear irregularly. Locals believe that their sudden appearance portends epidemics.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES

Plumage: reddish brown. The bird has a characteristic forelock on its head, a black mask around the eyes and a black neck. The body is gray, the tips of the flight feathers and tail plumage are yellow, red horn plates are visible on them. The plumage of females is paler.

Flight: fast and direct. During the flight, the bird soars at short distances. In flight, white stripes on the wings and their yellow edges are noticeable.

Carrying: in May-June, the female lays 5-6 eggs in a bowl-like nest located at a height of several meters from the ground.

young bird: differs from an adult bird in a less expressive pattern on the throat and wings, also in a smaller forelock.

- Nesting
- wintering

WHERE Dwells

The waxwing breeds in Western Canada and Alaska, northern Europe and northern Asia.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Today, the waxwing does not need special conservation measures. However, in some nesting areas, the number of birds is declining due to poor forest management. In winter, birds feed on the fruits of mountain ash, viburnum, wild rose and blackthorn.

Open your beak wider! Waxwing.Waxwing. Video (00:01:38)

Funny and interesting behavior of waxwings while feeding on apple trees. Belarus. Berezinsky reserve. Domzheritsy. November. Belarus. Berezinsky Reserve. D...

The whistler is common. Birds of Brateevograd. Video (00:00:32)

The waxwing in Brateevo and Maryino (park of the 850th anniversary of Moscow) is seen during seasonal flights, most often in the morning. These were separate individuals. They seem to be hibernating somewhere...

Waxwing. Video (00:01:07)

They eat apples.

Waxwing. Video (00:00:49)

Drunken Whistlers. Video (00:02:13)

Drunken waxwings spotted in Novosibirsk Because of the abnormally warm weather, the fruits on the trees did not have time to freeze quickly and "fermented". Birds, having eaten such yags ...

Waxwing. Video (00:01:08)

Waxwing on the runet. Video (00:00:24)

April 2012 Neighborhood of Krasnoyarsk, pine forest.

Waxwing. Video (00:00:54)

Waxwing at the feeder Kaluga region, Obninsk

What is a waxwing bird? It is better to start acquaintance with a bright representative of the passerine order in winter, when beautifully colored nimble birds with a clearly visible crest flicker against the background of snow and scarlet clusters of mountain ash.

Waxwing on a branch in winter.

The waxwing received its name due to its murmuring song "swi-ri-ri-ri-ri", reminiscent of the sound of a flute. For the same reason, birds are often associated with folk art objects - painted toys - whistles, an invariable attribute of shepherds.

There are only 9 types of waxwings in the world, most of which are extremely little studied.

Waxwing classification

The 9 species of birds described to date form 2 families: waxwings and silky waxwings, and the separation occurred recently, and earlier all 9 species belonged to the same family.

The waxwing family includes a single genus and only 3 species. Among them, the common waxwing is considered typical and most common.

The family of silky waxwings forms 2 genera and 6 species of birds, the black silky waxwing is the most studied.

Representatives of both families differ in habitat, lifestyle and appearance.

Waxwing ordinary on mountain ash.

What do waxwings look like

These are medium-sized birds, from 16 to 23 cm long. The body weight of the waxwing is less than 100 g and usually is about 60-70 g. In ordinary waxwings, sexual dimorphism is not pronounced, males and females look exactly the same.

The main color of the plumage is pinkish-gray, only the wings, tail and throat are painted black. It is very easy to recognize the waxwing by its bright yellow tail edging and alternating yellow and white stripes on the wings. A thin black stripe also passes through the eyes of birds.

Waxwing common, bird view from below.
Waxwing ordinary on mountain ash.

If you look closely at the common waxwing, you can see a bright red speck on the wings, these are modified tips of secondary primary feathers, similar to plates. A similar species is the Amur (Japanese) waxwing, but these birds are smaller and they have red spots not only on the wings, but also on the tail.

American (cedar) waxwing - the third representative of the waxwing family is colored completely differently. These birds have only black beak and area around the eyes, no bright stripes on the wings, and the belly and the very tip of the tail are painted in lemon color.

But in silky waxwings, sexual dimorphism is very well expressed. The males of the family are coal - black or lead - gray, their feathers are cast with a blue satin sheen. Females are pale, grayish or brownish in color.

Beautiful photo of waxwings.
Beautiful photo of waxwings.

A clear difference between the families is the length of the tail. Waxwings have a relatively short tail, and silky waxwings have a fairly long tail. The color of the eyes of the representatives of the families is also different: waxwing black-eyed birds, and, for example, the black silky waxwing has red eyes, the females are especially bright.

The heads of all waxwings are decorated with a characteristic crest. Only in common waxwings it can be barely noticeable, and 5 out of 6 species of silky waxwings wear a high pointed crest.

Where do waxwings live

Representatives of the waxwing family inhabit coniferous and mixed marshy forests of the temperate zone from the Scandinavian Peninsula to the Far East, Canada and the northern states of the United States.

Silky waxwings prefer completely different biotopes and live in the desert areas or tropical thickets of Mexico, in the forests of North and Central America to the Isthmus of Panama.

Waxwing on a rowan branch.

Waxwing lifestyle

At any time of the year, these birds are rarely found alone, keeping in noisy flocks, and only during the breeding season they become quiet and secretive.

Waxwings are not afraid of cold weather and do not make long-distance flights from their usual habitats. In very cold winters, birds migrate a little further south, and in mild winters they do not leave the borders of their summer range at all.

In winter, the waxwing becomes a habitual inhabitant of the settlements of central Russia, it is interesting that these birds are not afraid of people and then they can be seen in all their glory. What draws waxwings closer to people in winter? The only source of food is fruit trees growing in gardens and parks, which do not lose their crops with the onset of cold weather, because the diet of these birds varies greatly depending on the season.

The waxwings flew in and the blizzards whistled.

What do waxwings eat

In summer, these birds are not interested in cities, there is plenty of food in forests, clearings and swamps. In the warm season, waxwings feed mainly on animal food - small insects, which birds often catch on the fly. It can be mosquitoes, midges, dragonflies, butterflies; in spring, birds prey on insect larvae.

Waxwings do not particularly like to land on the ground and a small part of their summer diet consists of young shoots of tall plants and early ripening berries, such as mistletoe and mulberry. In early spring, birds eagerly peck at the buds of trees.

Waxwing eats rowan.
The waxwing eats snow for some reason.

Waxwings compete for an apple.
Waxwing in flight plucks mountain ash.

The diet of heat-loving silky waxwings is dominated by berries of shrubs of the Santal family, birds do not refuse juniper berries, and animal food is eaten second.

In winter, the diet of waxwings of the temperate zone changes dramatically and berries become the basis of the diet, mostly mountain ash, which is rare in dense forests, but grows in more open areas, including near settlements. Birds eat mountain ash in huge quantities, fermented ones are often found among the berries, and such a diet has given rise to some negative attitude towards waxwings among the people.

"Drunk" waxwings

Of interest is the very method of eating rowan fruits by birds. For example, the fieldfare, a European species of thrushes, picks up fallen berries from the ground, while waxwings never fall on the snow strewn with their favorite food and always peck berries only from branches.

Having eaten well fermented berries, tipsy birds lose their orientation in space and often die, bumping in a crazy flight and breaking on various objects. Some beat on the windows of residential buildings, and if the authors ridicule this behavior of birds in their works, then among the people, without guilt, the guilty waxwings have become a kind of bad omen: the waxwing beats out the window - to be in trouble.

The waxwing sings only in the wild, they get bored alone.

The body of a small bird is not able to digest a large number of berries and fruits, so a part comes out almost undigested. Thus, waxwings are of great benefit, contributing to the spread of cultivated fruit trees and shrubs.

This happens in winter, and in the warm season, waxwings behave decently, adhere to proper nutrition and take chicks with all responsibility.

Reproduction features

Waxwings are polygamous birds, and every year they create a new pair. Even during the nesting period, they do not change their social behavior and pairs often nest close to each other. Depending on the range, the breeding season falls on May - July, and at this time neither birds nor their singing can be seen or heard. The mating games of waxwings are simple, the males feed the females with berries, and then the birds start mating and building a nest.

Waxwing nests are located in sparse forests and forest edges, often not far from lakes and ponds. Nests are arranged in the upper crowns of trees and have a neat cup-shaped shape. As a building material, birds use sprigs of fir trees, grass stems, mosses and animal hair.

Waxwinger at the waterhole.
Bombycilla garrulus - common waxwing.

Female waxwings lay from 3 to 6 eggs, females of silky waxwings 2-4 eggs. Incubation lasts about 2 weeks. According to observers, in silky waxwings, both parents often incubate, in waxwings only females, and males bring them insects and berries.

Parents do not take care of the offspring for long, feeding the chicks with insects. Already 2-3 weeks after birth, young waxwings are ready for independent life, leave their parents and the couple breaks up. Silky waxwings can nest repeatedly, flying in case of extreme heat to more humid and cool places.

Waxwings reach puberty at the age of 1 year, but some birds die at a young age from feathered and tree-climbing predators.

The enemies of waxwings and the state of the population

With the exception of nondescript female silky waxwings, most species do not have a protective coloration and bright birds often fall prey to large birds - hawks, owls and even crows. Waxwing eggs and chicks are often eaten by representatives of the squirrel and mustelid families.

The albino waxwing is a very rare occurrence.
Waxwings in winter.

Under favorable conditions, waxwings live for about 13 years and are sometimes kept at home. Like many birds, waxwings get bored alone and stop singing, but a few birds in a spacious cage feel great.

Some species of waxwings remain little studied, however, according to the IUCN, the population of these birds is quite numerous today and its condition does not cause concern among scientists.

Drunkard Among. Earned such fame waxwing. The feathered one eats berries. In the cold, fermentation processes begin in them. Drinking such "berry wine" waxwings get drunk.

Intoxicated, they fall into snowdrifts, crash into houses, windows, run into wires. In general, the taste preferences of waxwings increase the mortality of birds. They are as bright, extraordinary as their life.

Description and features of waxwing

In the photo, the waxwing appears to be such a dandy. The main color of the bird is pinkish-gray. This is how the back, breast, belly and crest on the head of the bird are painted. Her tail has a yellow trim.

Waxwing bird in winter

The sunny tone is also present on the wings, combined with a black and white scale and a pair of scarlet marks. There is also a red spot under the tail of the animal. Black is also present on the chin of the waxwing and in the form of arrows near his eyes.

"War Paint" waxwing bird differs in both the female and the male body. Sexual dimorphism is not expressed in the size of representatives of the species.

Waxwing - bird medium-sized. With a standard length of 20 centimeters, the feathered one weighs about 70 grams. The physique of the bird is compact, dense. Both tail and wings seem small.

Waxwing common

The beak of the waxwing is short, black. The eyes of the bird are also dark, small. Neat paws claws. This makes it easier to stay on flexible branches. dense waxwing bird looks and due to plumage. Its down layer is dense and warm, it comes in handy in winter.

waxwing belongs to the sparrows. Hence some of the habits of the bird. So, it flies straight, fast. “Dead loops”, like those of swallows, you will not expect from waxwings.

Lifestyle and habitat

What does a whistle look like known to most people in the northern hemisphere. In the southern, representatives of the family are not found.

The biotope of the distribution of the hero of the article is impressive:

• firstly, the bird is found at any heights, it is equally common both in the lowlands and in the mountains
• secondly, the waxwing is found both in forests and in clearings, whether they are dry or swampy.

The main thing is that there are berries in the selected territories. Relative preferences of passerines are places with simultaneous presence of spruces and birches. These are the first to come to mind when asked where do waxwings live.

They are not sedentary, but you can’t call migratory birds either. The middle option is nomadic. That is exactly what waxwings are. They fly from place to place in search of food.

Amur waxwing

In a conversation about how the waxwings whistle, the question of the volume of singing is important. It is loud. It is not for nothing that in the Old Russian language the word "wool" means "scream". It is inherent in all species of the genus, however, despite the loudness, it is melodic.

Types of waxwings

There are 8 species in the waxwing genus. There are 3 of them in the waxwing family. Two of them are found in Russia. Another lives in the New World:

American waxwing

1. American waxwing. Otherwise called cedar, it lives in Canada and the northern United States. Americans differ from other waxwings in their yellow belly. The size of the bird is average between relatives, reaching a length of 20 centimeters.
2. Amur waxwing. The only one from the family is listed in the Red Book. The bird is smaller than relatives, it is only 16 centimeters long. Amur individuals are found not only in the Far East, but also in Asia and Japan.
3. common waxwing. Found in the Siberian taiga. Here the birds reach a length of 25 centimeters.

These are real waxwings. There are 2 more species from the silky family:

Black waxwing

1. black waxwing. The only species in which the color of birds of different sexes varies. Waxwing female gray, and the male is rich black. Feathered species are also distinguished by an elongated tail and a pointed crest on the head. Black waxwings live in America, mainly in the south of the continent.
2. silk waxwing. It also lives in the tropics and subtropics. Most of the population flies in the vastness of Mexico. Birds are deprived of a standing crest, like ordinary waxwings.

silk waxwing

In size, silky waxwings do not differ from ordinary ones. They are also reminiscent of a short beak and wings, short legs. Only the elongated tails of the American waxwings and their, for the most part, monochromatic coloration are clear differences between the families.

Poultry nutrition

All waxwings are voracious. Unlike thrushes and bullfinches, birds do not descend for dropped fruits. Whistling birds fly into trees and bushes like locusts, quickly sweeping away food and spreading to the next "table".

Cedar Waxwings

Having eaten, the birds continue the feast until they have eaten everything:

• berries (mountain ash, viburnum, mistletoe, barberry, wild rose, cranberries, juniper fruits)
• buds (mainly birch)

Since waxwings often overeat, the stomachs of birds are not able to fully digest the meal. Therefore, some of the berries come out through the cloaca only slightly softened. This makes it easier for the seeds to germinate. So waxwings contribute to the reproduction of plants.

Waxwings love rowan

The intoxication of the hero of the article is also associated with gluttony. The bird sweeps indiscriminately all the berries, not selecting the fermented ones. Given the amount of alcohol eaten, a decent amount enters the blood of animals.

Based on the mass of birds, alcohol gives pronounced intoxication. Almost every one carried it. winter bird. Waxwings tropical latitudes do not suffer from “addiction”, because they do not occur with fruits frozen and then heated by the sun.

Reproduction and lifespan

Usually lively and not afraid of people, the birds calm down from May to June, become secretive. The nesting period begins. Pre-created pairs proceed to it. In “marriage”, waxwings are almost always monogamous and faithful to their partner, although there are cases of a change of partner.

Nests whistling birds prefer to twist near water bodies, in light forests. There animals seek out large spruces. Bird nests are hidden among their branches at a height of about 12 meters.

Cedar waxwing with chicks

To build nests, passerines use:

• feathers
• needles and fir branches
• grass
• lichens and mosses
• animal hair, such as deer

The shape of the nest of waxwings is bowl-shaped, in-depth. The structure comes out strong and reliable. It hatches about 6 eggs of a light purple tone. Chicks appear after 2 weeks. This time the female sits on the eggs, and the male brings her food.

Parents feed the young with insects. Protein food allows the chicks to grow as quickly as possible. Having gained weight, waxwings switch to a vegetarian diet. In a month, young waxwings are already independent. Birds reach sexual maturity at the age of one year, living up to about 13 years. In captivity, the age is extended by 2-3 years.

The main thing is to keep several birds at once. Alone, the animal becomes apathetic, lethargic, more often sick. Otherwise, keeping waxwings at home is problem-free. Birds easily contact people, get used to them, delight with their brightness and singing.