Bohemian waxwing

bird

Also known as: Bombycilla garrulus, common waxwing

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

common waxwing The common, or Bohemian, waxwing (*Bombycilla garrulus*).

The Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is an elegant songbird belonging to the Bombycillidae family. Named for the shiny red beads on its secondary wing feathers, this bird is gray-brown with a tapering crest. It breeds in the northern forests of Eurasia and North America.1

Every few years, Bohemian waxwings irrupt far southward in winter, often appearing in city parks and gardens in search of berries. The name "Bohemian" is thought to derive from early taxonomic names, possibly referencing the bird's tendency to appear in flocks, suggesting a "vagrant" or "wandering" nature, rather than a direct link to the geographical region of Bohemia.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

waxwing
…common, or Bohemian, waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is 20 cm (8 inches) long and has yellow and white wing markings in addition to red. It breeds in northern forests of Eurasia and America and every few years irrupts far southward in winter. The cedar waxwing (B. cedrorum), smaller and less…
Read More
…common, or Bohemian, waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is 20 cm (8 inches) long and has yellow and white wing markings in addition to red. It breeds in northern forests of Eurasia and America and every few years irrupts far southward in winter. The cedar waxwing (B. cedrorum), smaller and less…
Read More