Waxwing

A waxwing is a sleek, crested songbird in the genus Bombycilla, named for the waxy red tips on some wing feathers. The genus includes three species native to the Northern Hemisphere.

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Bombycillidae: Bombycillidae is a bird family that includes waxwings and several closely related songbirds. Waxwings belong to this family, whose members share sleek plumage and fruit-eating habits.
Flocking behavior: Flocking behavior is the coordinated movement of groups of animals. Waxwings often travel and forage in flocks, especially when fruit is abundant.
Bird migration: Bird migration is the regular or seasonal movement of birds between geographic regions. Waxwing movements range from regular seasonal travel to dramatic, food-driven irruptions.
Cedar waxwing irruption of 1965: The Cedar waxwing irruption of 1965 was an unusually large movement of Cedar Waxwings into the northeastern United States. This documented event illustrates how food availability can drive movements beyond usual ranges.
Cedar Waxwing: The Cedar Waxwing is a North American waxwing species with a brown crest and yellow-tipped tail. It is one of the three species in the genus Bombycilla.
Irruptive migration: Irruptive migration is irregular movement beyond a species’ usual range in response to changing conditions. Bohemian Waxwings sometimes move far south when northern berry crops fail.
Ornithochory: Ornithochory is the dispersal of seeds by birds. Waxwings are effective seed dispersers because they swallow berries whole.
European mistletoe: European mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that produces white berries eaten by birds. Bohemian Waxwings consume its fruit and disperse its seeds.
Bohemian Waxwing: The Bohemian Waxwing is a large waxwing that breeds across northern Eurasia and North America. Its broad northern range contrasts with the more southerly distribution of the Cedar Waxwing.
Seed dispersal: Seed dispersal is the movement of seeds away from the plants that produced them. Waxwings carry berry seeds to new locations after swallowing fruit.