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An ordinary waxwing is remarkable for its peculiar structure and bright colors of its feathers. The length of his body reaches 20 centimeters.
Appearance description
Basically the plumage of this bird consists of gray-pink tones with smooth transitions. The head and its neck are usually covered with pink plumage, and the back and belly of the bird are painted gray. In the eyes, from the temple to the temple, there is a black spot, shaped like a mask, which is underlined with a white stripe from below.
On the head of the waxwings, a crest is clearly distinguished, consisting of elongated pink or brownish-gray feathers. Under its beak there is a dark zone, which looks similar to a collar. Fly feathers of this bird are painted in dark gray color; they are decorated with variegated patches consisting of crane, black, yellow and white colors.At the base of its tail there is a light gray area, the steering feathers are painted in dark gray with yellow ends.
All waxwings have common features that characterize their appearance. They have a rather short beak, painted black. It serves to birds as a multipurpose tool for hunting and labor, and has the ability to perform many complex operations. These birds have small eyes, with an iris of black color. They do not have large legs, but they are quite mobile, each finger has a small tenacious claw, which allows waxwings to land even on very thin branches, swinging under its weight. Under feathers in adults there is a down layer that does not allow birds to freeze on frosty nights.
The birds of this species are distinguished by a bright rather attractive appearance, therefore very few people living in the habitats of these birds did not meet these bright eccentrics, who like to make a lot of noise around themselves. They received their name due to a special manner of singing, consisting of a combination of high whistles and jerky cries. Despite the attractiveness of its appearance,with their many-voiced shouts, they can drive anyone crazy.
Habitats
An ordinary waxwing is considered a nomadic bird because, as a rule, they migrate to the middle lane from the extreme northern regions. In these areas, the winter period is also accompanied by severe frosts, but birds have no problems with food in this area. Waxwings can be found only in the northern regions of Eurasia and in North America.
Long-term seasonal flights to the African continent, to India or other places with warm climatic conditions, representatives of this species of birds do not make. In summer, they migrate to the tundra area or a little further, where the forest tundra begins. By and large, these birds make their nests in the farthest northern areas of Eurasia, as well as North America.
In winter, ordinary waxwings prefer to settle close to various localities.The Amur waxwing is distinguished by the fact that it has to make very short migrations; it spends the winter in the northern regions of China located in the neighborhood. Some individuals do not leave their breeding grounds at all, despite the severe frosts.
The American waxworm makes its nests in the forest regions of northern America and in Canada. During the winter, it migrates throughout the United States, up to the southern borders. These birds pose a considerable threat to farms, because, gathering in huge flocks, they can cause significant damage to the crop, most often birds prefer to make raids on blueberry plantations and all sorts of other berries.
Demeanor
During the entire winter period, waxwings prefer to form small flocks consisting of 2 - 3 dozen individuals, and fly over to regions where there is enough food for them. In some areas of the United States, when times of seasonal migrations arrive, they are capable of forming huge flocks of several thousand individuals. This is possible due to the abundance of feed on the berry plantations, which are located in the southern part of the country.
In the daytime, the presence of these birds is always noticeable - because they make too much noise. Their characteristic whistle can be recognized near many trees, as well as shrubs, where you can profit from the berries. At night, in winter, when bad weather rages, waxwings hide in the furry branches of fir trees, where they are lumped together, waiting for favorable changes. This behavior allows birds to wait out bad weather. For migrations to nesting sites, they choose the second half of March.
The period of breeding offspring
For the device of their nesting places, birds of this species choose parts of the taiga woodlands. As a rule, they place settlements near water bodies, for small chicks require a large amount of animal food, which is mainly composed of insects, for accelerated growth. At such times, waxworms try to behave as quietly as possible, a pair of parents, as usual, hiding in the branches of coniferous trees, trying not to give out their nest. Both male and female take part in the construction of the nest.
In order to make a nest, these birds need a tall old spruce tree, because they build their house at a height of 10 to 13 meters.In form, the nests of these birds do not resemble a large neat bowl of elegant shape. They use moss and thin stems of dried herbs as a building material; for the bedding of the nest they choose fluff, lichen, and also small plumage or even wool.
As the main tool for the nest device, the waxwing uses its beak, creating not only a safe place for its laying, but also giving it graceful forms. Since the nest itself acquires the natural colors of the habitat, it cannot be seen at all in the thick branches of the spruce. Adult birds during this period have to comply with all the rules of camouflage, because their chicks can become easy prey for many predators. Squirrels and martens pose a threat from the ground, and from the sky, crows and magpies can attack, less often hawks and even owls.
The construction of the nest does not take a lot of time from the waxwing; the whole structure takes several days. When construction work is completed and the nest is fully prepared, the female begins to lay the clutch. In its laying, as a rule, there are from 5 to 7 eggs, which have a gray-blue color with small specks.This color makes the eggs almost invisible against the background of the nest.
Only the female is engaged in incubation of the offspring, while the male takes care of its feeding at this time. The incubation period for these birds lasts 14 days, both parents show concern for the young offspring, alternately bringing food to the nestlings. With good nutrition, the chicks quickly fledge and are able to carry out the first flights two weeks after birth.
But the first time after their departure from the nest, the young individuals are not yet able to get food for themselves and need care. And only a month later the youngsters gain complete independence and forever leave their parents. Sexual maturity at waxwings comes at the age of one year, the length of their life in terms of will is from 10 to 13 years.
Diet
Waxwings are considered very voracious birds due to the fact that when a convenient opportunity presents itself, they clog their stomachs to the blade. The seeds of different berries cannot be digested by birds, so they spread the different types of plants.With the help of their well-adapted beak, these birds are able to catch insects on the fly.
The waxworm's diet changes with the seasons; during warmer times, it eats with pleasure various insects, such as mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, butterflies, beetles and dragonflies, and also eats some herbs, seeds and mulberries. With the onset of cold weather, these birds have to switch to a vegetable diet, consisting of various winter berries - bird cherry, juniper, dogrose, lingonberry, viburnum, and mountain ash.
Curious facts
In late autumn, when the weather happens, it is changeable and nightly frosts are replaced by daytime thaws, the berries, which serve as the main source of food for waxwings, begin to ferment. As a result of this natural process, poultry suffer a great deal from this diet.This phenomenon is very dangerous for them, because, losing orientation during the flight, they stumble upon various obstacles trees and even the walls of houses, and sometimes they simply fall into drifts and freeze.
This question is of concern to various defenders who take care of the wildlife, but today a rational solution of this issue has not been found. Ornithologists can not think of a way to feed these birds in the autumn.
Video: waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
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