Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

'Bohemian' may refer to the Romani, once called Bohemians, for the way flocks wander in search of fruit, the same idea behind calling a free-spirited artist 'bohemian.' Its scientific name was meant to mean 'silktail,' but it rests on a mistake.

Bombycilla joins the Latin bombyx, 'silk,' with cilla, which the naturalist Vieillot wrongly thought meant 'tail.' Garrulus is Latin for 'talkative,' given because people thought it looked like a jay, not for its voice. 'Waxwing' is for red wing tips that look like drops of sealing wax.