AMPELIS.
Frequent pine-woods, breed in colonies in uncertain places in north of Europe, Asia, and America ; wander at other seasons; food, insects and berries ; nest in trees ; eggs pale blue or sometimes pale pinkish with pale purplish shell markings and black surface spots.
Ampelis garrulus garrulus (L.). WAXWING. Fr. Jaseur de Boheme ; Ger. Seidenschwanz ; Md. Beccofrusone ; Sued. Sidensvans.
Crested ; above grey brown ; lores, supercilium, and throat black ; tips of outer webs of primaries and of tail yellow ; tips of secondaries white with red wax-like tips to shafts ; under parts grey, reddish on breast and flanks ; under tail coverts chestnut. Bill black, paler at base. Legs and feet black.
Wing 112-119. Tarsus 19-21. Bill 10-12. .7 resembles d but yellow at tip of tail narrower and paler and on primaries much paler ; wax tips of secondaries much reduced. Wing 110-119.
Breeds.—Circumpolar. In Sweden south to about 65°. Irregular as to breeding quarters and winter movements ; often in winter large numbers through Europe and British Isles, south to N. Italy. Accidental in Spain, Malta, Iceland and Faroes.