The arrival of the Bohemian Waxwing (Pestvogel) Bombycilla garrulus in The Netherlands

On 15 December this year I observed a Bohemian Waxwing (Pestvogel, Bombycilla garrulus) in the public garden Kooikerspark in the town of Houten. 

Bohemian Waxwing (Pestvogel) Bombycilla garrulus ©GK

In The Netherlands Bohemian Waxwing is a rare bird only observed irregularly in winter in varying numbers and in varying places in the country. The sudden migrations seem to depend on food availability in its home country where it breeds. Its arrival is unpredictable. The two previous years they were not observed in this location.

numbers of Waxwings from 2008 to 2023 in The Netherlands
yellow line = number of individual birds
waarneming.nl

It feeds here on berries of Wild Privet (Wilde liguster, Ligustrum vulgare ) and European cranberrybush (Gelderse roos, Viburnum opulus ). 

feeding on berries of Wild Privet (Wilde liguster) ©GK

How does it find those rare shrubs? Anyway, it is very good those shrubs are planted. We need more of them!

Once published on waarneming.nl the bird attracts a lot of bird spotters. I was lucky too. The bird was surprisingly tame. It wasn't chased away by all the photographers. This behaviour differs sharply from most wild birds in our country. Perfect conditions to make good pictures of this beautiful bird. 

a really beautiful bird! ©GK

yellow, red, black, white:
subtle, artful color patterns on wings and tail! ©GK

finishing touch: a subtly coloured crest on its head! ©GK

finally: a reddish coloration of its buttocks! ©GK

 

Finally, one remarkable fact: male and female don't differ visually. This is remarkable. Usually males are more colorful than females, especially when males have brilliant colors (peacock). So, males and females have the same color patterns. I wonder, are females still attracted to those colors when males have them? 

 

Thanks to Marco Jansen who first observed 2 birds on 29 November in Houten and published it on waarneming.nl and to Youri's youtube video.  

Here is one of the most perfect images of the wings of the waxwing (last picture).

Pestvogels trekken spotters massaal naar Houten | RTV Utrecht 9 dec 2023

Vorige blogs

• Nederlandsche Vogelen (6) Hoe natuurgetrouw zijn de afbeeldingen? 23 Feb 2015. In het blog staat een link naar de Pestvogel pagina bij de KB. Daar kun je interessante beschrijving vinden van de Pestvogel, waaronder een Pestvogel invasie in de herfst 1788 en wat ze toen allemaal deden met de Pestvogels~!