A BLIZZARD OF BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS   

Thursday, February 17, 2011

If you have been noticing some huge flocks of robin-sized birds collecting in roadside trees this winter, chances are they are not starlings this time. In all probability, they are Bohemian waxwings, and we weren’t even supposed to have them this winter.

Bohemian waxwings are the nomads of the bird world, but they stay pretty much out of Ontario, breeding in the northwest and east to Manitoba. When they do wander into Ontario to nest, their interest lies in the James Bay coastal areas. It is only in winter when they become restless, especially if their favourite food of all, mountain ash berries, are in short supply. However, the mountain ash berry crop was excellent last year across Canada, except for Newfoundland.  Predictions were that Bohemian waxwings would not appear this winter in Ontario, as there was nothing to cause them to seek food elsewhere. So, what’s with the flocks of 400 to a thousand that have been turning up in Prince Edward County and the general Quinte area this winter?

It is possible that a higher than usual breeding population has resulted in an unexpected depletion of berries in their normal range, and the waxwings have been forced to move south, into our area. Whatever the reason, they are here, sometimes associating with our more familiar and smaller cedar waxwing. Bohemians tend to be bulkier than cedar waxwings, much greyer in appearance and, when viewed from below, have prominent, dark reddish-brown under tail coverts, a term used to describe the small feathers at the base of the tail on the underside of the body, posterior to the crissum. Peterson, in his Field Guide To Birds, describes the call of the Bohemian as rougher than that of the more common cedar waxwing. Birds of North America describes it as a buzzy twittering; the new Smithsonian guide says it is more trilled and musical, while Kaufman calls it burry. The first time I encountered these birds in 1966 when they actually outnumbered cedar waxwings, I thought of none of these descriptions. To me, they sounded like a nest full of baby birds calling for food! And that is how field guides should be describing the calls of these birds. Eleven years ago there were over 2,000 that could be seen most days at Prince Edward Point.

We have had some 40 Bohemian waxwings hanging around along the road where I live. One morning, they were in our yard, drawn to the rosehips of our multiflora rose bush. In winter, they become chiefly a berry eater, so the berries of red cedar would also appeal to them and, of course, mountain ash berries, if they can find them in their wanderings.

Like the cedar waxwing, the Bohemian waxwing has always been considered one of the later nesters in summer, timing its nesting to coincide with the ripening of fruit, much like goldfinches wait for thistle seeds to ripen before they start to nest. However, in nesting data collected during the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2001-2005, there was no evidence to suggest later nesting in Ontario. Even observations from the Yukon strongly suggested that fruit during the nesting season may not be as important to waxwings as in Eurasia. The isolated nest records at James Bay revealed fully fledged young in mid-July, suggesting that nesting began in mid June, typical for that latitude.

Can we expect them as regulars at your feeders this winter? Not likely, although they have been known to accept handouts of berries and seeds at feeders. Given their nomadic nature though, it would likely amount to nothing more than a passing visit as they continue to wander the countryside exploiting what frozen fruits and berries they can find. However, anything is possible this winter as deep snow is forcing birds to find food in some unconventional places. Last week a small flock of snow buntings spiralled their way between the bushes and trees and gorged on spilled food beneath our feeders. With so much snow on the ground this winter, some species are hard pressed to find enough fuel to keep them going from day to day.

So, be sure to keep your eyes open for the nomadic Bohemian waxwings of the extreme northwest. It could be many years before we see such numbers again in our area. Meanwhile, it has been an interesting winter so far. The varied thrush is still coming to a feeder in the Moscow area, just north of Yarker, where it has been most days since first being observed there on December 8th. And if you have not seen a bald eagle yet this winter, then you are just not looking! This has been a bumper winter for them with 13 seen one day feeding in a group on the ice in the Bay of Quinte near Northport, quarrelling over fish discarded by fishermen. It is estimated that as many as 20 to 25 bald eagles may be present in Prince Edward County alone this winter, with numerous reports also coming from Adolphustown Tweed, Madoc and Stirling.