Key Facts
- Length: 18cm
- Wingspan: 34cm
- Weight: 63g
A starling-sized bird, the waxwing is one of Britain’s most exotic-looking birds with its large, orangey-pink crest.
The waxwing does not breed in the UK but is a winter visitor from Northern Europe and can be spotted in flocks on bushes full of berries – it’s not fussy where the bushes are and frequents towns, car parks and gardens. Waxwings prefer rowan and hawthorn berries, but can be enticed with hung-up apples. Sudden invasions of large numbers of waxwings (irruptions) occur when the berry crops fail in Northern Europe.
How to Identify
Unmistakeable: the waxwing has a pink crest and breast, a black mask and throat, grey rump, black tail tipped with bright yellow and yellow and white markings on its wings.
Where to Find
A rare winter visitor which can turn up anywhere, particularly in the north and east of the country.
How People Can Help
To encourage waxwings and other birds into the garden in winter, plant berry-producing bushes like hawthorn and put out different kinds of bird food. To find out more about encouraging wildlife into your garden, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there’s plenty of facts and tips to get you started. To buy bird food or feeders, visit the Vine House Farm website – an award-winning wildlife-friendly farm which gives 5% of all its takings to The Wildlife Trusts.
Did you know?
There are two other species of waxwing: the Japanese waxwing of eastern Asia and the Cedar waxwing of North America.
Similar Species

Barn Owl
- Birds

Black-Headed Gull
- Birds

Blackbird
- Birds

Blackcap
- Birds

Blue Tit
- Birds

Bullfinch
- Birds

Buzzard
- Birds

Canada Goose
- Birds

Carrion Crow
- Birds

Chaffinch
- Birds

Chiffchaff
- Birds

Coal Tit
- Birds

Collared Dove
- Birds

Coot
- Birds

Curlew
- Birds

Dipper
- Birds

Dunnock
- Birds

Fieldfare
- Birds

Goldcrest
- Birds

Golden Plover
- Birds

Goldfinch
- Birds

Great Tit
- Birds

Hen Harrier
- Birds

Herring Gull
- Birds

Kestrel
- Birds

Kingfisher
- Birds

Lapwing
- Birds

Linnet
- Birds

Little Egret
- Birds

Little Grebe
- Birds

Mallard
- Birds

Mandarin Duck
- Birds

Meadow Pipit
- Birds

Moorhen
- Birds

Peregrine falcon
- Birds

Robin
- Birds

Skylark
- Birds

Snipe
- Birds

Starling
- Birds

Swift
- Birds

Tree Sparrow
- Birds

Wheatear
- Birds

Wood Warbler
- Birds