Waxwing (white - amyalushka) is a medium-sized songbird belonging to the order Passeriformes. Its proportions are comparable to starling, but stands out clearly in appearance. The main color of the waxwing varies from dark gray to brownish or olive. The chest and abdomen of these birds are usually lighter, most often they have a yellowish or grayish tint. The bird has a peculiar crest of feathers on its head, its eyes and mandible are cut black. The wing tips are decorated with yellow, white and pink accents. The beak is quite short and dark. Females and males are almost identical in appearance. The sizes of waxwings vary from 18 to 22 centimeters, the average weight is from 50 to 75 grams.
Waxwings are gregarious birds and can often be seen in large groups of 25 to 100 individuals. Interestingly, during the migration period, birds often fly into large cities.
The diet of waxwings mainly includes insects and berries. With the arrival of autumn and winter, birds actively switch to rowan trees, flying from tree to tree.
The waxwing is known for its beautiful and melodious singing, which can be heard in forests and city parks. The songs of these birds often contain many different sounds.
Facts about the waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus):
Known for its melodious singing, the waxwing is a symbol of several things in different cultures:
- Spring and New Beginning: In many regions where the waxwing appears in the spring after winter migration, its singing is associated with the arrival of spring and the renewal of nature.
- Music and Harmony: Thanks to its varied and beautiful singing, the waxwing is often considered a symbol of musicality and harmony.
- Happiness and Joy: The singing of the waxwing brings pleasure and joy, making it a symbol of happiness and positive emotions.
- Nature and Ecological Balance: As an important insect-eating element of the ecosystem, the waxwing also symbolizes the health and balance of nature.
- Migration: Waxwings are migratory birds. They usually spend the winter in warm countries and return to temperate and subarctic zones in the spring to breed. However, there are often cases when some individuals remain for the winter, including in Belarus.
- Simulation of sounds: They are distinguished by their ability to imitate the sounds of other birds and their environment, which makes their singing especially varied and interesting.
- Nesting: Waxwings build nests in trees using grass, moss and other materials. They can place their nests in fairly tall trees, usually hidden in foliage or among branches.
- The Belarusian name for the waxwing is amyalushka, comes from this bird’s love for mistletoe berries.