Waxwing

The Bohemian Waxwing is a plump bird about the size of a starling. It has soft grey-brown feathers and a noticeable crest that sweeps back from its head. Adult birds have a black patch on their throat and around their eyes, yellow and white markings on their wings, and distinctive red, wax-like tips on some of their flight feathers. Their tail ends with a bright yellow band. Compared to the Cedar Waxwing, this bird is larger, greyer, and has rusty-coloured feathers under its tail. The Bohemian Waxwing visits Britain in winter, usually arriving between October and March. The number of birds can vary a lot during certain years when large groups move south. They breed in northern forests across Scandinavia, Russia, and North America. In winter, they travel in large, wandering flocks looking for trees and shrubs that have berries. They especially like rowan, cotoneaster, and hawthorn, often found in parks, gardens, and hedgerows in towns and cities. These birds are social and often surprisingly calm when feeding, allowing people to get quite close. Their presence is often announced by their high-pitched, trilling calls as they fly overhead.