Recently, areas on the University of Maine campus were inundated with cedar waxwings. During a day of severe cold and wind chills, the birds perched in the crabapple trees alongside Fogler Library, sheltering themselves from the wind as best they could. A few of my co-workers commented on their presence and numbers.

“The trees were filled with them.”

“The place was just lousy with them.”

“They just sat there; you could have reached out and grabbed them.”

The third statement made me wonder if the birds were dangerously stressed from the cold. On previous visits, the birds would gulp down a few berries of the crabapples before flying up into a taller nearby tree. The traffic of students traveling to and from the library and the student union building seemed to make them very wary and flighty.

I wondered if the birds were finding enough to eat as the fruit crop on the crabapple trees was somewhat skimpy. It was unusual for them to have appeared so sedate, and I realized they were conserving their energy as much as possible. In subsequent days, they returned but in fewer numbers. I hoped it was because the large flock had split up.

Cedar waxwings are starling-sized songbirds with a distinctive crest and black facial mask. Adults have red, wax-like tips on the end of their secondary wing feathers and a yellow band at the end of the tail. Their lower bellies have a pale yellow wash, which, along with the more obvious characteristics, is a good field mark for identification. This is especially so when viewing the birds from below.

Another good identification clue is their call notes, a very high-pitched and lispy “zeee.” Many times this is the only reason I’ve noticed them as they seem to blend in to the tree unless I’m very close to them.

These elegant-looking birds breed and winter in Maine. During the cold season, they become very nomadic as they wander over a wide area in search of cedar, mountain ash, crabapple, and hawthorn fruit, among others. Winter fruit crops such as these are vital to the birds’ survival.

A close cousin to the cedar waxwing is the Bohemian waxwing. Both are similar in appearance, but small details tell them apart. The Bohemian is slightly larger, with a larger crest and a smaller black facial mask. It, too, has the red wing tips and yellow tail band, but it also has yellow and white edges to its primary feathers, making it appear more colorful. However, these characteristics are not very obvious from a distance; what is obvious is the lack of yellow on the belly and also the deep chestnut undertail coverts. This is the dead giveaway that you are looking at a Bohemian waxwing and not a cedar waxwing.

Bohemian waxwings are resident in western and central Canada and Alaska. They may winter in parts of this range as well, but they also are extremely nomadic birds. During the winter they may appear anywhere across the northern half of the United States and are not an uncommon sight in Maine at this time. In fact, they are often seen mixed in with a flock of cedar waxwings, as they prefer the same type of fruit.

So the next time you see these birds, scan the flock carefully. You just might find some Bohemians among a group of cedar waxwings.

BDN bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net