Why are waxwings called waxwings?

The name comes from the wings. Some of the Bohemian waxwing's wing feathers carry small red tips, and these resemble sealing wax, which is what gives the bird its English name. The red tips are one of several distinctive marks on an otherwise soft grey-brown bird; the others are a prominent crest, a black face mask, and a yellow band at the tip of the tail. The guide also gives the bird's Latvian name, Zīdaste, and its scientific name, Bombycilla garrulus. The waxwing is Field note 07 in the guide, described on the index page as a northern songbird whose winter movements follow the berry supply, and in Latvia it is an autumn and winter visitor rather than a resident.

Sources

• Waxwings
• A short bird guide

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