Diet
What do bohemian waxwings eat?
Fruit — mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper — almost exclusively in winter.
Waxwings (Bombycillidae)Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
Spring and summer diet
- Insects caught over boreal bogs
Fall and winter diet
- Mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper fruit
Best feeder foods
- Raisins
- Chopped apple
- Fruiting crabapple and mountain-ash plantings
Irruptive winter flocks strip berry trees bare in a morning; plant mountain-ash and crabapple to host them.
Where bohemian waxwings need winter food
Regions where bohemian waxwings are present in the cold months:
ColoradoConnecticutIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaMaineMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMontanaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth DakotaNova ScotiaNunavutOhioOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandUtahVermontWashingtonWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do bohemian waxwings eat?
Fruit — mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper — almost exclusively in winter.
What is the best food to feed bohemian waxwings?
Raisins, Chopped apple, Fruiting crabapple and mountain-ash plantings.
What do bohemian waxwings eat in winter?
Mountain-ash, crabapple and juniper fruit.
Sources
- Bohemian Waxwing — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bohemian Waxwing life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bohemian Waxwing — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.