Waxwings are easily recognized by their distinctive appearance and silky plumage, they get their name from the colorful wax- like "blobs" found on the tips of the secondary wing feathers. There are two species of waxwings in North America, the Bohemian waxwing and the Cedar waxwing.
What's the difference between the Bohemian and Cedar waxwing? The Bohemian waxwing is slightly bigger and is more colorful, with rufous undertail coverts and yellow tips on wing feathers. Cedar waxwings have white undertail coverts. The Cedar waxwing has a yellowish belly while the Bohemian's is dark grayish. Both have a yellow tail tip (sometimes red in Cedar waxwing).
If you spot one of these unique looking songbirds (yes the waxwing is a songbird), chances are that there may be half a dozen or more(a lot more) waxwings perched nearby since they almost always gather in flocks.
How to attract waxwings? By having a yard full of berry producing plants. Although insects are part of the waxwing's diet, they love fruit so a way to get them into your backyard is to plant trees and shrubs that bear small fruit such as as berries found on juniper and serviceberry plants, even strawberries and raspberries!
