If you saw a large beautiful bird with black specks on its throat and a perky crest on its head, then know that it is a waxwing. It is named so not by chance. In Old Russian, the word "swirling" means to whistle, scream loudly. And so this wonderful bird. She sits on a branch, chirps, and then suddenly surprises everyone with a loud whistle. She does not do this out of fright. 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 a thick fluffy plumage. The head of the waxwing is decorated with a large crest.
The bird has a very bright diverse color. She is pinkish-gray. But her wings are black. Moreover, they are decorated with white and yellow stripes. Black throat and tail waxwing. Minor fly wings at the tips are bright red. A yellow stripe runs along the edge of the tail, and a black stripe passes through the eyes.
To pass by noisy flocks of bright waxwings is simply impossible. Even constantly rushing Muscovites pay attention to them. Citizens often call these feathered roosters, crested titmouse or parrot.
Habitat
Waxwing bird prefers the taiga zone of Russia. This is the place of its summer habitat and nesting. You can meet her in the forest-tundra. She prefers mixed forests, clearings and conifers, located in the northern zone of the country. Most often, birds choose the places where birch, pine and spruce grow for habitation.
Waxwings are migratory birds. With the onset of cold weather, they move closer to the south, where the places are warmer. Some flocks reach the Crimea, Central Asia and the Caucasus. However, most prefer the middle lane. Waxwing bird, as a rule, appears in the Moscow region in the first half of winter, and sometimes by Christmas.
During the wanderings, ornithologists have a great opportunity to study these birds. Indeed, in the inaccessible and sparsely populated northern zone, waxwings lead a sedentary and secretive lifestyle.
Food
At home, the waxwing bird eats small fruits and berries, young shoots and buds. Love birds and insects. They got the hang of flying midges and mosquitoes, butterflies and dragonflies on the fly. Waxworms also feed on larvae.
With the onset of autumn, the birds leave their homes. Driving them from there is not so much cold as hunger. They fly away in search of places where they can find food. During their flights waxwings become vegetarians. They make a stop in places where there are a lot of berries. During the rest of the birds try to eat plenty. They like mountain ash and juniper, viburnum and barberry. They can eat berries from other shrubs and trees.
Waxwing is a bird with excellent appetite. Gluttonous birds eat fast and in plenty. They swallow the whole berries. At the same time, food is consumed in such quantities that their stomachs are not able to digest it. An interesting fact is that their litter testifies to the appearance of waxwings. Birds leave red-orange spots consisting of semi-digested berries with pieces of peel. Such a litter stains the grounds and steps in front of the houses. The seeds that waxworms leave sometimes grow in various places. These birds can also be visited by man-made feeders. Willingly they peck dried berries and seeds.
After the 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 suburbs in late winter or early spring. Here they feed on the remaining berries, as well as already swollen buds of poplars and aspen.
Strange behavior
Waxwing bird is sometimes “drunk”. This 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 the countries of Scandinavia.
“Drunk” waxwings can be observed not only in the autumn, but also in the spring season. Sometimes "intoxication" provokes the sap of trees. In the spring, its trickles flow along the trunk at the slightest damage to the bark. But more often waxwings “get drunk” in autumn if the weather is warm and humid. The juice in the berries that remained on the bushes to the arrival of birds begins to ferment in such conditions. Gluttonous birds eat everything in a row. They swallow and fermented berries.
The behavior of “drunk” waxwings and changes in their bodies were studied by American ornithologists. It turned out that in 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 avian organism alters the behavior of birds. A flock of drunken 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 hurt, and sometimes die.
