Mass Invasion of the Bohemian Waxwing in the Czech Republic in Winter 2008/2009

Schröpfer L., Hudec K., Vačkař J.

In winter 2008/2009, there was a mass invasion of the Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) in the Czech Republic. 1,791 records on 117,408 specimens were made by approx. 240 birdwatchers in 53.7% of the map grids in the Czech Republic. The first waxwings appeared in October 2008 and the invasion peaked in January 2009. Most often flocks of 16 to 30 birds were recorded. 520 records on 50,000 waxwings show that the birds feed on at least 24 plant species as well as on insects. The preferred food was apples, followed by mistletoes, rowanberries, wild rose hip berries and loranthus berries.

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