If you saw a large beautiful bird with black spots on the throat and a perky tuft on the head, then know that this is a waxwing. It is not named so by chance. In the old Russian language, the word "sviristet" means to whistle, shout loudly. And so is this wonderful bird. She sits on a branch, chirps, and then suddenly surprises everyone with a loud whistle. She doesn't do it out of fear. 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 thick fluffy plumage. The head of the waxwing is decorated with a large crest.
The bird has a very bright and varied color. She is pinkish grey. But her wings are black. At the same time, they are decorated with white and yellow stripes. Black throat and tail waxwings. The secondaries are bright red at the tips. yellowa stripe runs along the edge of the tail, and a black stripe runs through the eyes.
It is simply impossible to pass by the noisy flocks of bright waxwings. Even constantly hurrying Muscovites pay attention to them. Citizens often call these feathered cockerels, crested tits or parrots.
Habitat
The waxwing bird prefers the taiga zone of Russia. This is the place of its summer habitation and nesting. You can also 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 to live in those places where birch, pine and spruce grow.
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. The waxwing bird, as a rule, appears in the Moscow region in the first half of winter, and sometimes by Christmas.
During migrations, ornithologists have a great opportunity to study these birds. Indeed, in the remote 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. They love birds and insects. They got the hang of grabbing midges and mosquitoes, butterflies and dragonflies on the fly. Waxwings also feed on larvae.
With the onset of autumn, the birds leave their homes. It is not so much the cold that drives them out, but the hunger. They fly intolooking for places where they can find food. During their migrations, waxwings become vegetarians. They make a stop in those places where there are a lot of berries. During the rest, the birds try to eat enough. They like mountain ash and juniper, viburnum and barberry. They can also eat berries from other shrubs and trees.
The waxwing is a bird with excellent appetite. Gluttonous birds eat quickly and in large quantities. They swallow the berries whole. At the same time, food is consumed in such quantity that their stomachs are not able to digest it. An interesting fact is that their droppings testify to the appearance of waxwings. Birds leave red-orange spots, consisting of half-digested berries with pieces of peel. Such litter soils platforms and steps in front of houses. The seeds that waxwings leave sometimes grow in different places. Feeders prepared by man can also visit these birds. They willingly peck dried berries and seeds.
After a flock spends a few 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 Moscow region at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. Here they feed on the remaining berries, as well as already swelling poplar and aspen buds.
Strange behavior
The waxwing bird is sometimes "drunk". Such 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 Scandinavian countries.
"Drunken" waxwings can be observed not only in the autumn, but also in the spring season. Sometimes "intoxication" provokes the juice of trees. In the spring, its trickles flow down the trunk at the slightest damage to the bark. But more often waxwings get drunk in the fall, if the weather is warm and humid. The juice in the berries that remained on the bushes by the arrival of birds begins to ferment under such conditions. Voracious birds eat everything. They also swallow fermented berries.
The behavior of "drunk" waxwings and changes in their body were studied by American ornithologists. It turned out that in the 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 bird's body changes the behavior of birds. A flock of "drunk" 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 injured, and sometimes die.
Economic purpose
The waxwings play a significant role in the life of the forest. Birds spread the seeds of berries over a large area. They fall to the ground along with the litter. Seeds do not lose their viability after passing through the intestines, and under favorable conditions germinate.
