Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus)

Named for its wandering, "Bohemian", character, this bird breeds in northern Canada and Alaska as well as Siberia.  They tend to occur in flocks, thus the term "garrulus", searching for winter fruits.  A flock of 13 appeared in my yard today and proceeded to consume what remains of the fruit on my crabapples.  In the summer time they prefer higher protein foods, primarily insects. They typically show up in late winter and early spring in Maine.  They are replaced by the smaller Cedar Waxwings in the summer.  A pair of Cedar Waxwings nested in my yard last year and they fed on mulberries from trees that I planted 25 years ago as well as the abundant insects that thrive in the swamps around my home. The yellow wax-like wing strip and the red beneath the tail and on the face from pigments in their diet.  Both the yellow on the wing and tip of the tail increase with maturity and more mature birds tend to be more successful in raising young.  

Bohemian Waxwing feeding on a crabapple.

  

They usually appear in large flocks of 15-60 birds and will strip a tree of its fruit.

Cedar Waxwing in the same crabapple tree in June.  They tend to be less plump, lack red on the face and under the tail is yellow instead of red.