Bird
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusAlso known as Northern Waxwing, Bohemian Chatterer
Nomadic flocks sweep through northern forests and urban parks in search of berry-laden trees, stripping branches clean in rapid, coordinated feeding bouts. Birds maintain flock cohesion with continuous high-pitched, bell-like trills that carry across snowy landscapes. During the brief subarctic summer, their diet shifts toward snatching flying insects on the wing over taiga bogs to nourish fast-growing chicks.
FrugivorousCrestedFlocking
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyRowan Berries, Juniper Berries, Midges
Predators
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Merlin
- Domestic Cat
ThreatsWindow collisions in urban foraging areas, road mortality, and winter food scarcity
HabitatsBoreal conifer forests, open taiga, mixed woodlands, parks, and suburban orchards
Life span5–12 years
Classification
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyBombycillidae
- GenusBombycilla
- SpeciesBombycilla garrulus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Winter Spotting: Check ornamental berry trees and rowans in urban landscapes during irruption winters.
- Acoustic Cues: Listen for distinctive high-frequency trilling calls echoing from treetops before visual contact.
Food Plant (c) Hans Kylberg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Predator Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Christian Back, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christian Back · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Timur Kalininsky, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.