Bohemian waxwing

Bohemian waxwing perched among red crabapples against a blue sky, showing white and yellow wing markings

When the snow arrives, the Bohemian waxwing shows up with it. These sleek, crested birds sweep into Manitoba in winter and strip a berry-laden crabapple tree in minutes. Bohemian waxwings are winter visitors that arrive from the north in noisy, nomadic flocks, descending on fruit trees such as mountain ash and crabapple. They are slightly larger and greyer than cedar waxwings, with rusty patches under the tail.

Slightly larger and greyer than the cedar waxwing, the Bohemian has white and yellow patches on the wings and a rusty-red patch under the tail. They travel in noisy flocks, following fruit from tree to tree through the cold months. A flock can strip a tree of berries in a short time before moving on, so finding them is often a matter of following the fruit.

To find out more about the bohemian waxwing and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of the Bohemian waxwing, among the crabapples in late fall.

Field notes in photographs

  • Bohemian waxwing hovering with wings spread among red crabapples
  • Bohemian waxwing perched on a branch, tipping its bill up to swallow a berry
  • Bohemian waxwing perched on a bare branch with its crest raised, showing its black throat and rusty undertail, Manitoba
  • Bohemian waxwing facing the camera on a bare branch, showing its yellow-tipped tail and rusty undertail, Manitoba
  • Bohemian waxwing swallowing a red crabapple on a bare branch, Manitoba

Bohemian waxwing Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the bohemian waxwing in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the bohemian waxwing nests, migrates, and spends the winter, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the bohemian waxwing in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Taiga Shield and the Southern Arctic (gold), passing through the Boreal Shield in spring and fall (lilac), and wintering in the Boreal Plains and the Prairies (blue). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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