Attract this bird

How to attract bohemian waxwings to your yard

Bohemian Waxwings respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 40 states and provinces.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 7, such as Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and 1 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 33, including Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and 27 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.

See the Bohemian Waxwing in your state →

Plant what bohemian waxwings use

These native plants are tied to the Bohemian Waxwing in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
Smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Shrub	31	Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Winterberry Ilex verticillata	Shrub	23	Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	22	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea	Shrub	22	White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.
Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Shrub	22	Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	21	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	20	Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	19	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Shrub	18	Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Western serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia	Shrub	15	Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer.

Your list covers 2 plant layers (shrub, tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives bohemian waxwings a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Fruit — mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper — almost exclusively in winter.

Warm months: Insects caught over boreal bogs
Cold months: Mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper fruit
At feeders: Raisins, Chopped apple, Fruiting crabapple and mountain-ash plantings

Feeder style matters as much as food: platform / tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Irruptive winter flocks strip berry trees bare in a morning; plant mountain-ash and crabapple to host them. Feeder guide →

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Cup on a conifer branch in the boreal forest.

It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.

Clutch: 3–7 eggs
Incubation: 13–14 days
Nestling period: 14–18 days
Broods per year: 1 per season

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.

Frequently asked

What attracts bohemian waxwings to a yard?

Food they actually eat (raisins, chopped apple, fruiting crabapple and mountain-ash plantings), native plants such as Smooth sumac, Winterberry, Black cherry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup on a conifer branch in the boreal forest.

What plants attract bohemian waxwings?

Across the Bohemian Waxwing's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting bohemian waxwings?

Nesting starts around July in Alaska and as late as July in Yukon. Have cover, water ready a month before.

Sources

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.