Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 12, 2014

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Bohemian Waxwing

The Bohemian waxwing is a passerine bird that breeds in the northern forests of Eurasia and North America. It has mainly buff-grey plumage, black face markings and a pointed crest. Its wings are patterned white and bright yellow, and some feather tips have the red waxy appearance that give this species its English name. Its breeding habitat is coniferous forests, usually near water. The pair build a lined cup-shaped nest in a tree or bush for a clutch of 3–7 eggs, incubated by the female alone for 13–14 days. Many birds desert their nesting range in winter and migrate further south. Large numbers of Bohemian waxwings sometimes travel well beyond their normal winter range in search of the fruit that makes up most of their diet. Waxwings can be very tame in winter, entering towns and gardens in search of food, rowan berries being a particular favourite. They can metabolise alcohol produced in fermenting fruit, but can still become intoxicated, sometimes fatally. The Bohemian waxwing's high numbers and very large breeding area mean that it is classified as being of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (Full article...)

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