What do Bohemian Waxwings Bombycilla garrulus find on agricultural fields in winter?

Abstract

We describe three cases when Bohemian Waxwings Bombycilla garrulus behaved as if they were searching for food on the ground in frozen fields in the winter. Inspection of the sites where they searched revealed little or no available food items. In one case the droppings contained juniper seeds but these must have been consumed elsewhere as there were no junipers at the site. Drinking water may have been the explanation in one case where upwelling water flowed over the ice. We speculate that eating minerals is another possible explanation, but leave the question open.