Migration timing

When do bohemian waxwings arrive in New Brunswick?

The Bohemian Waxwing is a winter visitor in New Brunswick — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.

Bohemian Waxwing, verified photograph
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Bohemian Waxwing timing in New Brunswick

Arrives
Around September
Leaves
By April
Status here
Winter visitor
Present roughly
September–April

In New Brunswick, bohemian waxwings are a cold-season bird, arriving around September and heading back north to breed by April.

These windows are set by latitude: New Brunswick sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.

Month by month in this state

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Highlighted months are when bohemian waxwings are expected in New Brunswick. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.

Getting ready before they arrive

The week before September is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early September — the first bohemian waxwings into New Brunswick are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.

Through the winter, consistent food matters more than variety — birds map dependable stations into their daily routes and rely on them hardest during cold snaps.

What bohemian waxwings eat while they're here

  • Mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper fruit

Irruptive winter flocks strip berry trees bare in a morning; plant mountain-ash and crabapple to host them.

Full Bohemian Waxwing diet guide → · Best feeder for bohemian waxwings →

Native plants that hold bohemian waxwings in New Brunswick

Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These New Brunswick-native plants are known to attract bohemian waxwings:

Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry
Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac
Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Black cherry
Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum
Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia · Vine

Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.

Pin cherry
Prunus pensylvanica · Tree

Fast-growing northern cherry with midsummer fruit.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked

When do bohemian waxwings arrive in New Brunswick?

bohemian waxwings typically arrive in New Brunswick around September. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.

When do bohemian waxwings leave New Brunswick?

Most bohemian waxwings have left New Brunswick by April. They spend the breeding season farther north and return in the fall.

Do bohemian waxwings stay in New Brunswick all year?

No — in New Brunswick the Bohemian Waxwing is a winter visitor, present roughly September–April. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.

What should I put out before bohemian waxwings arrive in New Brunswick?

Have feeders up and clean by early September — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: insects caught over boreal bogs.

Sources

  1. Bohemian Waxwing — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Bohemian Waxwing life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Bohemian Waxwing — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. eBird region overview and bar charts — New Brunswick
  5. Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
  6. Audubon Native Plants Database

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.