Novasola Waxwing
Novasola
Waxwing, Bombycilla novasolensis
L 17-20 cm, WS 30 cm, Family: Bombycillidae
IUCN Conservation
Status: Near threatened (NT)
Description:
Medium
sized, full-bodied passerine with small bill and notable crest. Plumage soft
and quite silky in appearance. Mostly dusky brown, with black throat and mask,
reddish forehead, and thin white facial stripes. Wings and tail dark with
intricate white and yellow patterning and waxy red tips on secondary feathers which
give the bird its name. Undersides pale gray, undertail coverts brick red.
Sexes similar. Juveniles dusky gray with pale throat and dark streaking on
undersides, few to no red feather tips, and shorter crest. Darker coloration,
red forehead, and white facial stripes distinguish it from other waxwing
species which may be found on Novasola.
Voice:
No
true song. Voice is very high-pitched, most commonly gives a short trill or
squeaky whistle. Calls often, especially while in groups.
Range and Habitat:
Distributed
across the entirety of Novasola, including Kosatka and Francis Islands during
the winter, when they are most commonly observed. Spends breeding season in
forests, especially dense conifer forests of firs, spruce, and larch.
Discussion:
Conspicuous
and attractive, Novasola Waxwings are well known for their charm, especially
during the fall and winter months when they congregate in large flocks around
fruiting trees and shrubs. Their shiny browns, grays, yellows, and reds add a
crisp flash of color to cloudy days.
Frugivores,
the bulk of waxwing diets are composed of fruit. In fact, waxwings are more
reliant on fruit than any other endemic bird, and especially sugary fruits at
that. They even feed fruit to their nestlings and young, which in the Northern
Hemisphere is unique to the waxwing group. They especially prefer small and
fleshy fruits like the many species of berries, but will also eat harder fruits
like apples, madrone, and juniper. In the summer they may supplement their diet
with insects they catch mid-air, and during the spring they will eat sap and
can often be found feeding from sapsucker holes. During the winter they often
eat dried fruits, which can be difficult to digest so they must drink lots of
water or eat snow. Novasola Waxwings are infamous for their habit of getting
drunk off fermented fruits. Indeed, this does happen naturally and with some
frequency. They have evolved large livers and an enhanced ability to digest
ethanol due to their heavy diets of sugary, fermenting fruit, but there are times
when even this ability to too little. When this occurs, waxwings will become
drowsy, inebriated, or even sick. Occasionally people will find waxwings on the
ground, unable to fly. Though most often the birds can recover given proper
time, some die from this.
Novasola
Waxwings breed in forests, especially conifer forests, and avoid more open
ecosystems. They prefer to be near water like lakes, ponds, rivers, and
wetlands, and are uncommon outside areas with abundant fruiting plants.
Waxwings do not defend territories or return to reuse nesting sites. Instead,
they are entirely nomadic, travelling across the landscape searching for fruit.
During the breeding season waxwings are generally solitary outside their pair,
though multiple pairs may by coincidence congregate at feeding sites given the
clustered nature of fruiting plants. They place their nest high up in the
canopy. They are notably late nesters to take advantage of fruit crops. Outside
the breeding season, waxwings will form enormous flocks, sometimes numbering in
the hundreds of individuals. These nomadic flocks continue to migrate across
the landscape, but now search for larger fruiting clusters. In the fall and
winter these flocks can be found outside dense forests, and in fact become more
common in more open areas, especially edge habitats where fruits are common.
Naturally, waxwings are especially common in Novasola’s many fruit orchards.
They are also quite common in suburban parks and gardens during this time. Though
they will eat from most feeders, waxwings obviously prefer dried or ripe
fruits. They are often found wreaking havoc on garden plants and landscape
shrubs. In orchards they may even be considered pests.
Because
they are mostly seen outside the summer months, Novasola Waxwings are heavily
associated with winter. They are featured prominently in winter-themed art, and
many of the indigenous words for the bird reflect this. The Ciganakin name is qanaqagan,
likely sharing a root with qanaq meaning winter, while the Gallquayan
name is taakwkiji, roughly translating to “winter wing”. The English
name, waxwing, refers to the bright red tips to some of the bird’s wing
feathers. These tips are made of a waxy type of keratin and their evolutionary
purpose is unknown. Waxwings face a number of threats, most notably habitat
degradation through the introduction of non-native species. There are many
invasive plant species that are spreading across Novasola at alarming rates
which outcompete native plants and this has drastically reduced the
availability of berries. However, Novasola’s orchard and plantation industry
has created mass areas of fruit production. As a result, Novasola Waxwings are
less threatened than many other native birds, though their populations are
still in decline. New research is suggesting introduced predators, namely house
cats, are contributing to previously unknown levels of mortality. They are also
prone to hybridizing with the other species of waxwing, all three of which may
occasionally be found to varying degrees on Novasola.
Emblematic
of Novasolan autumns and winters, the Novasola Waxwing is a sleek and beautiful
bird that tops many birder’s lists of favorites. Richard Reichwald observed
many during the NRC expeditions, but in that time waxwings were commonly killed
for their meat. Prior to the Migratory Bird Treat Act passing in 1918, Novasola
Waxwings were considered something of a delicacy. They store more fat than many
songbirds, and their meat is purportedly flavored by their high-sugar berry
diet. They were also apparently quite easy to kill, congregating in large
flocks around reliable food sources. It is said that one farmer could fire into
his apple tree with a shotgun and fell ten birds, which could feed his family
for supper. Hunting of waxwings is no longer permitted, though some orchards wish
to reinstate the practice. For now, people are content to enjoy waxwings as
living wildlife.
“With
only feeble whistles and listing whispers for a voice and a principally shy temperament,
the at first unassuming Novasola Waxwing may be overlooked by many, observant
or incurious alike. But a flock of Waxwings in the garden holly or a freshly
shot bird in the hand struggle not to steal one’s attentions. What from afar
may appear as a dull, soot gray bird in close reveals a complicated canvas of yellows,
whites, and scarlets. Over the entire form the plumage is soft, silky, and neatly
arranged, quite unlike the disheveled chaos of chickadees. Narrow white marks
outline a black mask around the eyes, and yellow tips in the wings and tail
contrast with the silver-gray belly and brick undertail. Its head, adorned in an
airy crest of wine-red and silky brown adds regality to its countenance. Most
uniquely, though common to its lineage, the Waxwing sports horned tips to its
wing feathers resembling sealing wax. One
cannot help but be enamored by the waxwing's wings; these crimson markings, like
badges of honor, elevate the creature to a level of aesthetic grandeur unmet by
its neighbors.” – Manual of Novasolan Birds, 1914
“Flocks
of these avian treasures move with a certain coordinated grace through the
branches, their mousy calls punctuating the quietude of the forest. The
species, displaying an affinity for berries, pluck them with a dexterous
precision, savoring the autumnal abundance. Noteworthy is their proclivity for communal
indulgence. When a bountiful tree offers forth its berries, the Waxwings
descend upon it in a flurry, their cooperative feasting emblematic of the
shared banquet that autumn bestows upon the woodlands.
…
Whether
it be known to the Waxwing, it has chosen a life which protects it from the
nasty villains of parasitism. The bird’s habit of feeding mostly berries to its
young makes the Waxwing a poor choice for nest parasites like cuckoos or
cowbirds. Indeed, hatchlings of those species rarely survive their youth from
an inability to cope with such a fruit heavy diet.
…
The
modesty of the Waxwing is a virtue even quakers would covet. Despite their
irrefutable charms and beauty, these birds prefer to hide themselves in the
obscurity of dense foliage and upper canopies. They sing not, fight not, and do
not else but travel the countryside and feast on opportunistic banquets. If
modesty is their virtue, gluttony be their vice. But it is impossible to chastise
the birds for their sins when they exude such a gentle tenderness.” – Native Birds
of Novasola, 1912