Bohemian Waxwings

The gypsies of the bird world have arrived! Bohemian Waxwings are small songbirds that live rather irregular lives, traveling throughout the state and showing up in tiny groups or flocks of up to several hundred in places where the food supply is plentiful. These tiny nomads are recognizable by their crested heads and their buzzy, high-pitched twittering calls. From a distance they may look rather plain, but if you take a closer look you will see that they are quite beautiful. Their faces are decorated with an elegant black mask with a surrounding wash of reddish feathers. The rest of their bodies are covered with soft, velvety gray feathers, a chestnut patch under the tail, and a few splashes of color on the wing tips. The tails have an edge of bright yellow, as if they had just dragged the tip through a bucket of fresh paint. They are called waxwings because of the bright red drops of waxy material that form on the tips of the secondary feathers and tail. Unlike many songbirds, males and females have the same plumage.
Bohemian Waxwings are birds of the forests and muskegs and can be found throughout Alaska except for the far north. In the summer they nest in conifers. They are very acrobatic hunters, expertly darting from their perches or circling through the sky to catch tasty morsels, like dragonflies and other insects on the wing. At this time of year the waxwing’s food of choice is berries. As the berries start to ferment, the birds may sometimes become intoxicated. There have been many reports of erratic flying and tipsy behavior of these little bohemians.

---from Diana Brann Wildlife Radio